Subsidiary Hypothesis Research Articles

Sex Education and the Dichotomies of Identity Representation. A Case Study on Republica

At the foundation of this research paper lays the notion of “identity” which comes to show how postmodernism and digimodernism can, in fact, coexist in a post-postmodern world where the problem of sex education is more actual than ever. The objective of this paper is to show how in this context full of dualities, a narrow topic such as sex education can reinforce the construction and representation of an identity. In this way, this paper analyzes how the Romanian media outlet Republica tackles this topic and how, when covering it, it manages to construct the Romanian group identity. The main hypothesis of this paper is that this media outlet relies a lot on religious principles when covering this topic. Moreover, a subsidiary hypothesis is that this publication correlates sex education with politics, since the politicians are the ones who take important decisions for this country. For the methodology, this paper uses the qualitative and quantitative content analysis. Discussing about some of the main results, it can be said that the analysis highlighted how sex education is correlated massively with politics and religion, but also with the issue of gender identity. Consequently, the Romanian identity is defined by some strong dichotomies present in the society (men versus women, science versus religion, parents versus authorities), showing many of the vulnerabilities to which different social categories are exposed.

Inconsistent language lateralisation – Testing the dissociable language laterality hypothesis using behaviour and lateralised cerebral blood flow

BackgroundMost people have strong left-brain lateralisation for language, with a minority showing right- or bilateral language representation. On some receptive language tasks, however, lateralisation appears to be reduced or absent. This contrasting pattern raises the question of whether and how language laterality may fractionate within individuals. Building on our prior work, we postulated (a) that there can be dissociations in lateralisation of different components of language, and (b) these would be more common in left-handers. A subsidiary hypothesis was that laterality indices will cluster according to two underlying factors corresponding to whether they involve generation of words or sentences, versus receptive language. MethodsWe tested these predictions in two stages: At Step 1 an online laterality battery (Dichotic listening, Rhyme Decision and Word Comprehension) was given to 621 individuals (56% left-handers); At Step 2, functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound (fTCD) was used with 230 of these individuals (51% left-handers). 108 left-handers and 101 right-handers gave useable data on a battery of three language generation and three receptive language tasks. ResultsNeither the online nor fTCD measures supported the notion of a single language laterality factor. In general, for both online and fTCD measures, tests of language generation were left-lateralised. In contrast, the receptive tasks were at best weakly left-lateralised or, in the case of Word Comprehension, slightly right-lateralised. The online measures were only weakly correlated, if at all, with fTCD measures. Most of the fTCD measures had split-half reliabilities of at least .7, and showed a distinctive pattern of intercorrelation, supporting a modified two-factor model in which Phonological Decision (generation) and Sentence Decision (reception) loaded on both factors. The same factor structure fitted data from left- and right-handers, but mean scores on the two factors were lower (less left-lateralised) in left-handers. ConclusionsThere are at least two factors influencing language lateralization in individuals, but they do not correspond neatly to language generation and comprehension. Future fMRI studies could help clarify how far they reflect activity in specific brain regions.

The role of urban branding to attract foreign tourists

In today's world, Abstract City-marketing and urban-branding strategies play an essential role in the tourism industry. Tourism activists compete with each other to attract more tourists to their attractions. In promoting a touristic attraction, branding, both physical and spiritual aspects are crucial. Developing tourism infrastructures, built heritage, iconic architecture is essential as well as reinforcement of historical references, an attractive way of life, or cultural values. Since Certain cities are attracting all of the assets and the attention, while others are becoming more or less invisible, one of the critical prerequisites for the success of cities is their overall image, or so-called „city branding.“ In this research, we tried to investigate the urban branding of Kerman-a touristic and historical city located in the south of Iran- and its role in attracting foreign tourists toward this destination. After gathering data through library and field studies and analyzing data, we come to this result that urban branding has a crucial role in attracting foreign tourists to this town. The out coming from the subsidiary hypothesis tests showed that the six aspects of branding effects on attracting tourists. Our results could be useful for promoting Kerman tourism attractions.

Hobbes on rebellious groups

ABSTRACT In this paper we deal with Hobbes’s elucidation of the political conflict caused by rebellious groups. First of all, we attempt to prove that groups are important characters in Hobbesian antagonisms. Secondly, it will be argued that the isomorphic structure that underlies all associations is vital to account for these disputes. To wit, the fact that minor corporate bodies are ‘similar’ vis à vis the State leaves a lengthy flank open to rebellion, since this homology may encourage their leaders to compare themselves with the sovereign and to challenge his or her power. Whereas the inclusion of this trait may seem at face value paradoxical to Hobbes’s absolute order project, we shall contend that it is actually a way of ascribing responsibility to the leaders of rebellious groups. Furthermore, as a subsidiary hypothesis, it will be claimed that the centrality of the theory of represented corporations is a result of Hobbes’s aim to erase, not rebellion as such, but only its tumultuous setup.

Verifying Feighner's Hypothesis; Anorexia Nervosa Is Not a Psychiatric Disorder.

Mental causation takes explanatory priority over evolutionary biology in most accounts of eating disorders. The evolutionary threat of starvation has produced a brain that assists us in the search for food and mental change emerges as a consequence. The major mental causation hypothesis: anxiety causes eating disorders, has been extensively tested and falsified. The subsidiary hypothesis: anxiety and eating disorders are caused by the same genotype, generates inconsistent results because the phenotypes are not traits, but vary along dimensions. Challenging the mental causation hypothesis in Feighner et al. (1972) noted that anorexic patients are physically hyperactive, hoarding for food, and they are rewarded for maintaining a low body weight. In 1996, Feighner’s hypothesis was formalized, relating the patients’ behavioral phenotype to the brain mechanisms of reward and attention (Bergh and Södersten, 1996), and in 2002, the hypothesis was clinically verified by training patients how to eat normally, thus improving outcomes (Bergh et al., 2002). Seventeen years later we provide evidence supporting Feighner’s hypothesis by demonstrating that in 2012, 20 out of 37 patients who were referred by a psychiatrist, had a psychiatric diagnosis that differed from the diagnosis indicated by the SCID-I. Out of the 174 patients who were admitted in 2012, most through self-referral, there was significant disagreement between the outcomes of the SCID-I interview and the patient’s subjective experience of a psychiatric problem in 110 of the cases. In addition, 358 anorexic patients treated to remission scored high on the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale, but an item response analysis indicated one (unknown) underlying dimension, rather than the three dimensions the scale can dissociate in patients with psychiatric disorders. These results indicate that psychiatric diagnoses, which are reliable and valid in patients with psychiatric disorders, are less well suited for patients with anorexia. The results are in accord with the hypothesis of the present Research Topic, that eating disorders are not always caused by disturbed psychological processes, and support the alternative, clinically relevant hypothesis that the behavioral phenotype of the patients should be addressed directly.

Analyze and prioritize strategic factors on the establishment of knowledge management in banks

Introduction: Knowledge management covers all process and activities related to the creation, acquisition sharing and use knowledge, skills and expertise. At the present of time, if organization does not have information and new knowledge in according with global development will not be able to make the right decision. Addressing the issue of knowledge and knowledge management it is important to have knowledge because knowledge is an ultimate competitive advantage for new origination and the key to victory and it is the only source that is difficult or even impossible to imitate and copy. Methods: This study is a descriptive survey. The study sample included all employees of Bank Hekmat Iranian are located in Tehran. According to the understanding of study population characteristics, simple random sampling method was used. In this study, on the framework Of Huang is studied: Team working, employee involvement, employee empowerment, knowledge structure, information system, training, commitment of senior management, benchmarking, performance measurement, organizational culture. The descriptive analysis of data using descriptive statistics and then through confirmatory factor analysis using SMART PLS software to inferential analysis of the hypothesis was done. Subsidiary hypothesis were studied and tested by One-Sample T-Test. Results: The analyze performed on collated data, it was concluded that all elements of employee empowerment, infrastructure , information systems, organization culture, modeling, employee involvement, teamwork, commitment of senior managers, knowledge structure, staff training and performance measurement leads to successful implementation of knowledge management in Bank Hekmant Iranian. Prioritizing these factors, as well as to establish knowledge management model led to 1. Team working, 2. Employee involvement., 3. Employee Empowerment, 4. Knowledge structure, 5. Information System, 6. Training, 7. Commitment of senior management, 8. Benchmarking, 9. Performance measurement, 10. Organizational culture. Results of the analysis showed that the situation of organizational culture, employee empowerment and information systems infrastructure are significantly appropriate, the situation of commitment of senior management, staff training, teamwork, benchmarking and structure knowledge and performance measurement are partly appropriate. Conclusion: Identifying factors affecting on successful implementation of knowledge management in Bank Hekmat Iranian may lead to identifying gaps in organizational knowledge, more productivity of human capital, efficient and effective learning of staff, providing more value-added services, customers and employees satisfaction, prevent the recurrence of errors, reduction duplication, saving time, stimulate motivation, creativity and innovation, and strengthening the competitive position of the bank.

Engaging Parents Who Quit Smoking in Antismoking Socialization of Children: A Novel Approach to Relapse Prevention.

Data from a randomized controlled trial designed primarily to test the effect of an antismoking socialization parenting program on child initiation of smoking were used to test the subsidiary hypothesis that providing antismoking socialization to children would lower the odds of relapse within a sub-sample of parents who had recently quit smoking. Over 13 months, 11 state Quitlines provided contact information for callers who were parents of 8- to 10-year-old children. Of 1604 parents enrolled in the trial, 689 (344 treatment; 345 control) had quit smoking cigarettes for at least 24 hours after calling a Quitline. Their data were used to test for group differences in 30-day abstinence measured using telephone interviews conducted 7 and 12 months post-baseline. Analyses of parents with complete follow-up data and intent-to-treat analyses incorporating parents lost to follow-up are presented. Among 465 parents with complete follow-up data, treatment group parents had twice the odds of being abstinent 12 months post-baseline (adjusted OR = 2.01; P = .001) relative to controls. Intent-to-treat analysis with all 689 parents, in which those lost to follow-up were coded as having relapsed, showed a smaller though significant treatment effect on 30-day abstinence at 12 months (adjusted OR = 1.58; P = .017). This study is the first to observe that engaging parents who have quit smoking in antismoking socialization of children can lower their odds of relapse. Additional research is needed to replicate this finding and to identify the psychological mechanisms underlying the observed effect. There is a clear the need for research to develop new relapse prevention strategies. This study is the first to observe that engaging parents who have quit smoking in antismoking socialization of children can lower their odds of relapse.

Improving physical health and reducing substance use in psychosis – randomised control trial (IMPACT RCT): study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

BackgroundCardiovascular morbidity and mortality is increased in individuals with severe mental illnesses.We set out to establish a multicentre, two arm, parallel cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a health promotion intervention (HPI), IMPACT Therapy. The patient-tailored IMPACT Therapy aims to target one or more health behaviours from a pre-defined list that includes cannabis use; alcohol use; other substance use; cigarette smoking; exercise; diet and diabetic control, prioritising those identified as problematic by the patient, taking a motivational interviewing and CBT approach.MethodsImpact therapy will be delivered by care coordinators in the community to the treatment group and will be compared to treatment as usual (TAU). The main hypothesis is that the addition of IMPACT Therapy (HPI) to TAU will be more effective than TAU alone in improving patients’ quality of life as measured by the Short Form-36, including mental health and physical health subscales on completion of the intervention at 12 months post randomisation. A subsidiary hypothesis will be that addition of IMPACT Therapy (HPI) will be more cost-effective than TAU alone in improving health in people with SMI 12 months from baseline. The IMPACT therapy patient groups’ improvement in quality of life, as well as its cost effectiveness, is hypothesised to be maintained at 15 months. Outcomes will be analyzed on an intention-to-treat (ITT) basis.DiscussionThe results of the trial will provide information about the effectiveness of the IMPACT therapy programme in supporting community mental health teams to address physical comorbidity in severe mental illness.Trial registrationISRCTN58667926.

A meaningful life is worth living: Meaning in life as a suicide resiliency factor

Given the high rate of suicide worldwide, it is imperative to find factors that can confer resiliency to suicide. The goal of the present study was to examine the search for and the presence of meaning in life as possible resilience factors. We hypothesized that the presence of, but not the search for, meaning in life would predict decreased suicidal ideation over an eight-week time period and decreased lifetime odds of a suicide attempt. We also examined a subsidiary hypothesis that the presence of, but not the search for, meaning in life would mediate the relationship between the two variables associated with the interpersonal psychological theory of suicide (i.e., perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness) and suicidal ideation. Our results were generally in support of our hypothesis: presence of meaning in life predicted decreased suicidal ideation over time and lower lifetime odds of a suicide attempt. Surprisingly, search for meaning in life also predicted decreased suicidal ideation over time. Finally, the search for, but not presence of, meaning in life mediated the relationship between the interpersonal psychological theory variables and suicidal ideation. These findings suggest that interventions that target meaning in life may be useful to attenuate suicide risk in individuals.

Effect Of Cultural Dimensions On Stock Exchange Investment Decisions In Iran

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of cultural dimensions on personal investment decisions in the Tehran Stock Exchange. The cultural dimensions model was well established by Geert Hofstede (1980). This research tested a main hypothesis and four subsidiary hypotheses. The data was gathered through library methods and questionnaires. The results showed that the main hypothesis which examined whether there is a significant relationship between cultural dimensions and investment decisions in the Tehran stock exchange was confirmed. Subsidiary hypothesis about the relationship between two of Hofstedes cultural dimensions, Power Distance and Individualism, and investment decisions was not confirmed at a meaningful level. However other subsidiary hypothesis of the research based on the relationship between Masculinity and Uncertainty Avoidance and investment decisions was significant at a meaningful level and confirmed.

Psychopathy and predatory violence in homicide, violent, and sexual offences: Factor and facet relations

Purpose. Evidence has been found pointing to a relationship between psychopathy and predatory violence. The present study investigated the violence mode and its relationship with psychopathy on factor as well as on facet levels. It was hypothesized that predatory violence would be related to the affective and/or interpersonal facets of psychopathy. A subsidiary hypothesis was that sexual offences could also be differentiated by means of violence mode.Methods. Participants were 82 male inmates convicted of a violent crime, a sexual crime, or a homicide. Psychopathy was assessed with the Hare PCL‐R2and the violence mode was assessed by means of Cornell's Aggressive Incident Coding Sheet, based on interviews with the offenders and a review of the official record.Results. On the psychopathy subcomponent level, only the interpersonal facet was positively related with predatory violence. This association makes sense considering that psychopaths' interactions with others are defined by gradients of power and control and narcissistic gratification, rather than by attachment patterns. By contrast, the antisocial facet was associated negatively with predatory violence. Our subsidiary hypothesis concerning the possibility of differentiating sexual violence on the basis of the two violence modes was not confirmed.Conclusions. The present results add to the growing evidence that predatory violence is related to the personality traits of psychopathy rather than to its life‐style and antisocial characteristics. Therefore, a risk analysis of future predatory violent behaviour might benefit from the inclusion of the assessment of the personality facets of psychopathy instead of focusing solely on the antisocial behaviour.

Dinâmica de uso de fontes de pólen por Melipona scutellaris Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae): uma análise comparativa com Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), no Domínio Tropical Atlântico

Generalist foraging behavior among stingless bees is accepted but untested, as well as the subsidiary hypothesis of floral preferences in the genus Melipona. Here we analyzed those hypotheses comparing the use of floral sources of pollen, through paired analyses of pollen samples from different colonies of Melipona scutellaris Latreille, in three areas of the Atlantic Forest Domain, in Northern Brazil. From August, 2004 to January, 2005, monthly samples of pollen were collected at the entrance of twelve colonies of M. scutellaris. In two places, four colonies of M. scutellaris were compared with four colonies of africanized Apis mellifera L. The main pollen sources chosen by the colonies of M. scutellaris were flowers of the following plant families, in decreasing order of importance: Myrtaceae, Mimosaceae, Anacardiaceae, Sapindaceae, Caesalpiniaceae and Fabaceae. Productive pollen sources of Asteraceae, Arecaceae e Rubiaceae were heavily exploited by the colonies of A. mellifera and discharged by the colonies of M.scutellaris. Often, both species shared the main productive pollen sources, as the flowers of Myrtaceae and Mimosaceae. On the other hand, no pollen sources were heavily exploited altogether by both of them, as a rule. In different places and periods, the colonies of M. scutellaris presented high intra-specific similarity and they formed distinct clusters apart from A. mellifera. Therefore, the selection of pollen sources by colonies was species dependent. The paired comparisons refute the hypothesis of random flower exploitation by colonies and give support to the subsidiary hypothesis of selectivity or floral preferences by M.scutellaris.

The role of odour and visual cues in the pan‐trap catching of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae)

AbstractColoured pan traps are frequently used to attract and catch insects, such as in the monitoring of populations of beneficial insects in classical or conservation biological control. They are also used in the evaluation of the recovery of insect populations after disturbance and in many other situations where an estimate of relative insect numbers is required. However, the fact that traps may be visible to the insects over a considerable distance can influence the interpretation of catch data. This difficulty may arise, for example, if traps along a transect can attract insects from some or all of the other transect positions. This study compared the effect of different coloured traps on attraction and catch of hoverflies. The hypothesis was that completely yellow traps would attract hoverflies from a distance, while traps that were green outside and yellow inside would catch fewer flies because only those from above or near the trap can see the yellow stimulus. A subsidiary hypothesis was that rose water would enhance hoverfly capture rates. For the two main hoverfly species captured, Melanostoma fasciatum (Macquart) and Melangyna novaezelandiae (Macquart), significantly more individuals were caught in completely yellow traps than in yellow and green or in completely green traps. Moreover, the addition of rose water increased the number of hoverflies caught significantly. It is suggested that if a measure of hoverfly numbers relating to a particular distance along a transect is required, consideration should be given to the ability of hoverflies to see yellow traps from a distance. The use of traps that are green outside would more accurately reflect the local abundance of hoverflies. If higher trap catches of hoverflies are needed for statistical purposes, rose water can enhance catches.

A combined clinical, neuropsychological, and neuroanatomical study of adults with high functioning autism

Introduction. Three hypotheses concerning associations between neuroanatomical abnormalities, neuropsychological impairments, and the behavioural manifestations of autism were investigated. The primary hypothesis was that the social interaction impairments diagnostic of autism are associated with deficits of socioemotional perception and abnormalities of the amygdala. One subsidiary hypothesis was that the learning and language impairments that occur in less able individuals with autism are associated with impaired memory, and with abnormalities of hippocampal regions. A second subsidiary hypothesis was that the repetitive behaviour diagnostic of autism is associated with executive deficits and with abnormalities of the prefrontal cortex. Associations between the neuroanatomical regions investigated were also examined.Methods. Ten adult males with high functioning autism (HFA) were compared with 10 healthy controls matched for age, sex, verbal and nonverbal ability. Hypothesis-driven structural MRI and neuropsychological tests were used to collect neuroanatomical and neuropsychological data on all subjects. A version of the Wing Autism Diagnostic Interview Checklist was used to collect clinical data on the HFA subjects.Results. Strong convergent evidence in support of the amygdala hypothesis was obtained, and preliminary support for the hippocampal/parahippocampal hypothesis. No clear evidence was obtained in support of the prefrontal hypothesis. Patterns of associations amongst volume measures within and between medial temporal and prefrontal regions suggest stronger within-region and weaker between-region associations in the HFA group compared with controls.Conclusions. These findings are discussed in terms of a model of autism in which selective abnormalities of the amygdala and hippocampus (in all cases) and of the parahippocampal gyrus (in lower functioning cases) are implicated, and in which a disruption of coordinated limbic and prefrontal activity may be critical.

The reserve-capacity hypothesis: evolutionary origins and modern implications of the trade-off between tumor-suppression and tissue-repair

Antagonistic pleiotropy, the evolutionary theory of senescence, posits that age related somatic decline is the inevitable late-life by-product of adaptations that increase fitness in early life. That concept, coupled with recent findings in oncology and gerontology, provides the foundation for an integrative theory of vertebrate senescence that reconciles aspects of the ‘accumulated damage’ ‘metabolic rate’, and ‘oxidative stress’ models. We hypothesize that (1) in vertebrates, a telomeric fail-safe inhibits tumor formation by limiting cellular proliferation. (2) The same system results in the progressive degradation of tissue function with age. (3) These patterns are manifestations of an evolved antagonistic pleiotropy in which extrinsic causes of mortality favor a species-optimal balance between tumor suppression and tissue repair. (4) With that trade-off as a fundamental constraint, selection adjusts telomere lengths—longer telomeres increasing the capacity for repair, shorter telomeres increasing tumor resistance. (5) In environments where extrinsically induced mortality is frequent, selection against senescence is comparatively weak as few individuals live long enough to suffer a substantial phenotypic decline. The weaker the selection against senescence, the further the optimal balance point moves toward shorter telomeres and increased tumor suppression. The stronger the selection against senescence, the farther the optimal balance point moves toward longer telomeres, increasing the capacity for tissue repair, slowing senescence and elevating tumor risks. (6) In iteroparous organisms selection tends to co-ordinate rates of senescence between tissues, such that no one organ generally limits life-span. A subsidiary hypothesis argues that senescent decline is the combined effect of (1) uncompensated cellular attrition and (2) increasing histological entropy. Entropy increases due to a loss of the intra-tissue positional information that normally regulates cell fate and function. Informational loss is subject to positive feedback, producing the ever-accelerating pattern of senescence characteristic of iteroparous vertebrates. Though telomere erosion begins early in development, the onset of senescence should, on average, be deferred to the species-typical age of first reproduction, the balance point at which selection on this trade-off should allow exhaustion of replicative capacity to overtake some cell lines. We observe that captive-rodent breeding protocols, designed to increase reproductive output, simultaneously exert strong selection against reproductive senescence and virtually eliminate selection that would otherwise favor tumor suppression. This appears to have greatly elongated the telomeres of laboratory mice. With their telomeric failsafe effectively disabled, these animals are unreliable models of normal senescence and tumor formation. Safety tests employing these animals likely overestimate cancer risks and underestimate tissue damage and consequent accelerated senescence.

Evaluating sensory conflict and postural instability. theories of motion sickness

Two experiments were carried out to evaluate the sensory conflict and the postural instability theories of motion sickness. The central hypothesis of sensory conflict theory is that motion sickness is caused by conflict between the current pattern of sensory inputs about self-movement and the pattern that is expected on the basis of previous experience. A subsidiary hypothesis is that the degree of motion sickness is proportional to the magnitude of sensory conflict. The central hypothesis of postural instability theory is that motion sickness is caused by loss of postural control. A subsidiary hypothesis is that the degree of motion sickness is proportional to amount of postural instability, which can be manipulated by physical restraint. In both experiments there were two levels of sensory conflict and two levels of postural restraint. Dependent variables were latency of onset and severity of motion sickness. The widespread occurrence of motion sickness in both experiments clearly confirmed the main hypothesis of sensory conflict theory. The results from Experiment 1, that there was significantly more motion sickness in the restrained condition, and from Experiment 2, that there was no significant difference in symptoms between the two restraint conditions, provide no support for the subsidiary hypothesis of postural instability theory. Evidence relating to the subsidiary proposition of sensory conflict theory was inconsistent.

The relationship between staff burnout/distress and interactions with residents in two residential homes for older people.

The main hypothesis was that staff burnout/distress would be negatively associated with the quantity and quality of social interactions between staff and residents. The subsidiary hypothesis hypothesis was that 'perceived involvement in decision-making' among staff would be positively associated with the quantity and quality of staff-resident interactions. Cross-sectional and within-group. Standardized self-report questionnaires completed by staff; and non-participant, time-sampling observation and coding of staff-resident interactions. SETTING. Two independent (not-for-profit) residential care homes for older people in the UK. 18 out of 24 residential workers completed questionnaires. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12); the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI); the Perceived Involvement Personal Questionnaire (PIPQ); and the Quality of Interactions Schedule (QUIS). Staff who reported higher levels of personal accomplishment (ie lower levels of burnout on the personal accomplishment subscale) exhibited significantly more staff-resident interactions; and staff who perceived more involvement in decisions relating to their work showed significantly fewer negative staff-resident interactions. Staff distress, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were not found to be significantly related to the quantity or quality of staff resident interactions. The results provide some support for the hypotheses. It appears that levels of personal accomplishment and perceived involvement in decision-making among staff may significantly influence the quantity and quality of staff-resident interactions in residential settings. However, the causal relationships are uncertain, and replication of these findings is required in other contexts.

Demented and chronic depressed patients attending a day hospital: stress experienced by carers

Objective. The main hypothesis was that carers of elderly patients attending a day hospital with chronic depression experience considerable stress. A subsidiary hypothesis was that this stress is equivalent to that experienced by carers of dementia patients attending the same day hospital. Design. All attenders of the day hospital with a diagnosis of depression or dementia coresident with their principal carers. Setting. An urban psychogeriatric day hospital in the UK. Patients. A consultant diagnosis of dementia or depression with a history of present illness in excess of 12 months in patients over 65. The total sample was 57, 32 dementia and 25 depression (19 major depressive episode). Measures. Dementia patients: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clifton Assessment Schedule (CAPE). Depressed patients: MMSE, Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Carers: Semi-structured questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30) and Relatives Stress Scale (RSS). Results. Dementia patients were older than depressed (75.66 vs 71.84). The two groups were of comparable severity. The dementia carers were significantly more stressed on the GHQ and RSS than depression carers but these carers also exceeded the threshold for psychiatric ‘caseness’. Important negative views about life upset and carer burden were expressed by both groups. Conclusions. The main hypothesis but not the subsidiary one is supported. More sophisticated study of the burden of caring for chronic depressive illness is required. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Demented and chronic depressed patients attending a day hospital: stress experienced by carers

The main hypothesis was that carers of elderly patients attending a day hospital with chronic depression experience considerable stress. A subsidiary hypothesis was that this stress is equivalent to that experienced by carers of dementia patients attending the same day hospital. All attenders of the day hospital with a diagnosis of depression or dementia coresident with their principal carers. An urban psychogeriatric day hospital in the UK. A consultant diagnosis of dementia or depression with a history of present illness in excess of 12 months in patients over 65. The total sample was 57, 32 dementia and 25 depression (19 major depressive episode). Dementia patients: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clifton Assessment Schedule (CAPE). Depressed patients: MMSE, Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Carers: Semi-structured questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30) and Relatives Stress Scale (RSS). Dementia patients were older than depressed (75.66 vs 71.84). The two groups were of comparable severity. The dementia carers were significantly more stressed on the GHQ and RSS than depression carers but these carers also exceeded the threshold for psychiatric 'caseness'. Important negative views about life upset and carer burden were expressed by both groups. The main hypothesis but not the subsidiary one is supported. More sophisticated study of the burden of caring for chronic depressive illness is required.

Confidentiality Assurances and Response: A Quantitative Review of the Experimental Literature

This article tests the general hypothesis that a stronger assurance of confidentiality improves survey response by means of a meta-analysis of the experimental literature. No support is found for the general hypothesis, but the subsidiary hypothesis, that confidentiality assurances improve response when the data asked about are sensitive, is supported. Under those circumstances, the effect of confidentiality assurances is small but statistically significant and is robust in the presence of a variety of control variables.