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This paper provides an overview of the design and cohort characteristics of the Social Spectrum Study: a clinical cohort study that used a two-phase sampling design to identify children at risk for ASD. After screening 1281 children aged 2.5-10 years who had been consecutively referred to one of six mental health services in the Netherlands, children who screened positive for ASD (n = 428) and a random selection of screen negatives (n = 240) were invited to participate in diagnostic assessments and questionnaires regarding the child, family and society. A 1-year follow-up was also conducted. Results from this study may contribute to knowledge of the identification and characterization of children with ASD, family processes, and the impact of ASD on the family and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Will a pastor refer to a mental health center? If they feel qualified to intervene themselves, they may not. Because pastors often provide grief counseling, it is important to understand the decisions they make when intervening with depressed individuals. A random sample of 204 Protestant pastors completed surveys about their treatment practices for depression. Fisher's exact analyses revealed that more pastors with some secular education yet no degree felt that they were the best person to treat depression than pastors who had no secular education or pastors who had at least a secular bachelor's degree. However, the level of theological education did not influence beliefs about the pastor being the best person to treat depression. In addition, neither secular nor theological education level influenced pastors' views on referring people to mental health centers for depression treatment. Based on findings, this paper discusses implications for best practices in training pastors on depression and other mental health topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) as well as individual, socioeconomic, and family function characteristics associated with IPV among women attending public health services in Marivan County, Iran. Multistage cluster sampling was employed to recruit 770 women to participate in the study. This descriptive, cross-sectional study took place from May to November 2009. The majority of the women (79.7 %) had experienced psychological IPV, followed by physical IPV (60 %) and sexual IPV (32.9 %). There was a positive significant relationship between IPV and education level of women and the level of religious commitment in both women and spouses. Spouse's smoking, addiction to drugs, mental illness, and weakness in religious persuasion were statistically significant predictors of IPV and accounted for 36 % of the variation. This correlational study suggests that educational programs regarding these risk factors and their associations with the outcome of IPV should be designed by healthcare providers and implemented not only in healthcare facilities, but presented from local media. Public health services and healthcare facilities can play an important role in the detection of IPV and improve responses to victims by establishing education centers and informing women of the best ways they can confront this deleterious problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is consensus in the partner abuse prevention education literature that a skills-focus is needed. However, appropriate instruments for evaluating the effectiveness of skills-focused programs do not exist. Against this background, and based on the dyadic slippery slope model of partner abuse, the Tendency to Resist or End Abusive Dynamics (TREAD) scale was developed. TREAD is defined as one's tendency to respond assertively or protectively in situations involving warning-sign (potentially hurtful or controlling) behaviors by a partner. The scale's development drew on the input of three Australian samples: mixed-gender adolescent focus groups, 426 young female respondents to an online survey, and 152 adolescent girls participating in a school-based program trial. When tested with the 152 adolescent girls, the TREAD scale had acceptable internal consistency and high inter-rater reliability. Principal components analysis identified three interrelated TREAD subscales (i.e., Conflict-Retaliation TREAD, Denigration TREAD, and Dominance-Possessiveness TREAD) all of which were negatively associated with frequency of exposure to warning-sign behaviors. This paper charts the preliminary development of the TREAD scale, presenting evidence supporting its validity as a change-target for partner abuse prevention education with adolescent girls and, potentially, boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

hma and obesity-related health problems disproportionately impact low-income ethnic minority communities residing in urban areas. Environmental risk factors, particularly those related to housing and indoor air, may impact the development or exacerbation of asthma. There is increasing evidence to suggest a link between obesity-related health problems and asthma. Previous studies have also reported that immigrant status may influence myriad risk factors and health outcomes among immigrant populations. The Arab American Environmental Health Project (AAEHP) was the first study to explore environmental health problems among Arab Americans. This paper examined whether hypertensive status modified the relationship between environmental risk factors and asthma among Arab Americans in metro Detroit. An environmental risk index (ERI) was used to quantify household environmental risk factors associated with asthma. Physician diagnosed hypertension was self-reported, and asthma status was determined using responses to a validated symptoms checklist and self-reported diagnosis by a physician. Hypertension significantly modified the relationship between ERI and asthma in this study population. The positive association between household environmental risk factors and asthma was stronger among participants diagnosed with hypertension. Effect modification of the relationship between environmental risk factors and asthma could have serious implications among high-risk communities. However, further research is needed to elucidate the relationships between hypertension, environmental risk factors, and asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We implemented a comprehensive intervention program targeting general practice staff, that proved successful in optimizing practice organization and clinical decision-making. In this paper, health-related quality of life (HRQL) is investigated as a clinical outcome.Objective: To evaluate the effect of the implementation of an intervention program on the HRQL in patients at high cardiovascular risk.Research Design: Randomized controlled trial. Intervention practices (n = 62) received a comprehensive intervention program (by means of outreach visitors) lasting 21 months. HRQL of patients at high cardiovascular risk was assessed by the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), at baseline and after intervention. Three patient categories were distinguished: diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and hypertension.Results: HRQL deteriorated in all respondents, but more pronounced in the control group. In diabetes patients the differences between intervention and control group were significant for the Vitality and Mental Health scales, with mean difference in change of 3.93 (95% CI: 1.08-6.78) and 3.71 (95% CI: 0.73-6.68), respectively. Patients with cardiovascular disease had significantly different changes on three scales: physical functioning (3.57, 95% CI: 0.71-6.43), vitality (3.01, 95% CI: 0.72-5.30) and social functioning (3.96, 95% CI: 0.50-7.42). In patients with hypertension, there were no differences between the intervention and control group.Conclusion: Our comprehensive intervention program resulted in changes in HRQL on several domains, particularly in patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]