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Copyright of RIE: Revista de Investigacion Educativa is the property of RIE: Revista de Investigacion Educativa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Age-related social biases – ageism – are developed at an early age. Interventions to counter ageism have been identified but little is known about their mechanisms, particularly in children. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of which interventions in youths are most effective, under which circumstances, how, and with what outcomes. Using 46 keywords in 6 databases, a realist review identified 24 studies published between 2000 and 2022 targeting youths under 18. A content analysis of these studies led to the construction of a Context-Mechanisms-Outcomes explanatory model. Contextual facilitators triggering mechanisms for changing stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination were: 1) enhancing knowledge about aging and older adults by providing nuanced information, 2) improving the quality of intergenerational contacts, 3) increasing opportunities to apply previously acquired knowledge in intergenerational interactions, and 4) promoting reflective thinking about experiences with older adults. However, stereotypes and prejudices appeared to be resistant and changes difficult to generalize. Insufficiently advanced cognitive development in children or viewing healthy and socially engaged older adults as unrepresentative of their age group were obstacles that reduced intervention effectiveness. Future studies should explore how advancing age influences interventions as well as the characteristics of older adults involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Item quality is crucial to psychometric analyses for cognitive diagnosis. In cognitive diagnosis models (CDMs), item quality is often quantified in terms of item parameters (e.g., guessing and slipping parameters). Calibrating the item parameters with only item response data, as a common practice, could result in challenges in identifying the cause of low-quality items (e.g., the correct answer is easy to be guessed) or devising an effective plan to improve the item quality. To resolve these challenges, we propose the item explanatory CDMs where the CDM item parameters are explained with item features such that item features can serve as an additional source of information for item parameters. The utility of the proposed models is demonstrated with the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)-released items and response data: around 20 item linguistic features were extracted from the item stem with natural language processing techniques, and the item feature engineering process is elaborated in the paper. The proposed models are used to examine the relationships between the guessing/slipping item parameters of the higher-order DINA model and eight of the item features. The findings from a follow-up simulation study are presented, which corroborate the validity of the inferences drawn from the empirical data analysis. Finally, future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore explanatory models and treatment practices for mental illness/ bio-psycho-social disability by traditional healers in Blantyre, Malawi. The study adopted an exploratory design using qualitative methods. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data. It was conducted in Blantyre, a district in southern Malawi. Participants were traditional healers practising in the district. Purposive sampling was used to select the study sample. In total, ten indepth interviews and two focus group discussions were conducted. The sample was determined based on data saturation. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data aided by Nvivo 12. Four themes were identified in the data: presentation of a person with mental illness; types of mental illness; causes of mental illness; and management modalities. The findings show that although traditional healers are capable of recognizing mental illnesses, it is patients exhibiting significant behavioural disturbances that are mostly identified. Supernatural attributions and management dominated. Mistrust of the allopathic health system also exists among the healers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an explanatory model of protective behaviors against COVID-19 transmission based on the theory of planned behavior is tested using a sample of 904 individuals by adding two relevant variables in the COVID-19 context: skepticism and responsibility toward COVID-19 transmission. Responsibility and the intention to behave in a protective way act as mediators in predicting protective behaviors. The model is invariant between younger and older people, although some path differences were found: the perception that individuals have about the extent to which their reference group adopts protective behaviors directly influences individual protective behavior for younger but not older people, for whom subjective social norms were only indirect predictors of such behavior. Additionally, the rates in all the variables showed that the group under 35 took more risks in the context of protective behaviors against COVID-19: they exhibited more skepticism, lower behavioral control, perceived fewer positive social norms regarding protective behaviors, felt less responsible for spreading the disease, had less intention to behave in a protective way, and finally adopted fewer protective behaviors. Developers of intervention strategies and campaigns should contemplate such variables and focus on differences according to age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muscle dysmorphia (MD) is a pathological preoccupation with muscularity characterised by negative body image, compulsive behaviours, and obsessive thoughts. Since its first identification academics have suggested that it is caused by sociocultural factors. Despite this there has been very little research exploring the role of sociocultural factors in the development and maintenance of MD, and no research that examines MD from within its cultural context. Instead the medical model of MD has dominated understanding. This model presents professionals as the experts on this disorder, and sufferers as pathological individuals in need of expert treatment. This renders cultural context largely irrelevant to understandings of MD. In this paper we present a different kind of expertise with regards MD. We describe the expertise of those most likely to suffer from MD, and upon whom medical descriptions of MD are based: bodybuilders. Specifically, we describe how bodybuilders explain MD (their definition, theory of aetiology and experience of MD, as well as their suggested management strategies), and compare these explanations to the dominant medical model. Through a consideration of the expertise of bodybuilders we break the tunnel vision of medicine, and suggest ways we can move beyond our current under-developed understanding of MD. This paper examines MD from within its cultural context, and in so doing it lays the foundation for a sociocultural explanatory model of MD. If we are to significantly reduce the harms of this disorder we cannot rely solely on treating the few individuals who present to clinicians. Rather we must develop ways to help sufferers to manage their disorder, and to prevent the development of this disorder among those at risk in the first place. To do this we must understand the sociocultural dimensions of MD, and collaborate with bodybuilding communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Culture has been posited to be involved in the formation and maintenance of delusions and hallucinations. The extent of these differences and how they affect explanatory models of psychosis and help‐seeking attitudes remains to be understood. This review aims to present a cultural formulation to account for psychosis onset, symptom maintenance, and help‐seeking attitudes. Methods: A narrative review was conducted to summarize the existing evidence base regarding cross‐cultural differences in hallucinatory and delusional prevalence, explanatory models, and help‐seeking attitudes in First Episode Psychosis (FEP) and Non‐FEP Schizophrenia samples. Results: Sixteen studies were eligible for inclusion. In terms of positive symptom specificity, cross‐cultural differences were found. Specifically, auditory and visual hallucinations occurred most frequently in African patients, persecutory and grandiose delusions occurred at higher rates in African, Pakistani, and Latino patients, while delusions of reference were most prevalent in White‐British groups. Three explanatory models were identified. Westerners tended to endorse a bio‐psychosocial explanation, which was associated with increased help‐seeking, engagement, and positive medication attitudes. Asian, Latino, Polish, and Māori patients endorsed religious‐spiritual explanatory models, while African patients opted for a bewitchment model. The religious‐spiritual and bewitchment models were associated with a longer duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and poorer engagement with mental health services. Conclusions: These findings highlight the important influence of culture in the formation and maintenance of positive symptoms of psychosis, engagement, and help‐seeking attitudes across different ethnic groups. The incorporation of cultural beliefs in formulation development could facilitate enriched CBTp practices and improved engagement amongst different cultural groups with Early Intervention Services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information dissemination refers to how information spreads among users on social networks. With the widespread application of mobile communication and internet technologies, people increasingly rely on information on the internet, and the mode of information dissemination is constantly changing. Researchers have performed various studies from mathematical modeling and cascade prediction perspectives to explore the previous problem. However, lacking a comprehensive review of the latest information dissemination models hinders scientific development. As a result, it is essential to review the latest models or methods. In this paper, we review information dissemination models from the past three years and conduct a detailed analysis, such as explanatory and predictive models. Moreover, we provide public datasets, evaluation metrics, and interface tools for researchers focusing more on algorithm design and modeling. Finally, we discuss the model application and future research directions. This paper aims to understand better the research progress and development trends for beginners and guide future research endeavors. We believe this article will attract more researchers' interest and attention to the information dissemination field on social networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This research was carried out in order to show the effect of the use of media tools on the risk perception of the society and behaviors, including society's tendency to get vaccinated in the context of generations during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: The research was conducted with mixed method in which quantitative and qualitative research techniques were used together. The "Converging Parallel Mixed Method" was used and the findings obtained from the both methods were combined. For the quantitative part, 469 people were reached with the "purposeful sampling method" and Media Exposure Scale, Risk Perception Scale, The Behavior Scale and The Believability Scale were used. In-depth interviews were conducted for the qualitative part. Results: In the quantitative part of this study, it was found that the most important behavioral difference is that the use of media directly affects vaccination behavior in all generations. It has been also determined that the media use variable doesn't differ according to age groups, thus all generational groups were found to use media invariably from each other. Conclusion: It is of great significance that the information that both the whole society and individuals over the age of 65, who are in the risk group in terms of Covid-19 contamination and adverse process, need or may need, should be given in the most perspicuous, accurate and current manner in the media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic disease that is usually diagnosed in childhood, underscoring the importance of early disease control for overall wellbeing. Our aim was to design an explanatory model of subjective emotional wellbeing in children and adolescents with T1D. A longitudinal study was conducted at the Reina Sofia University Hospital in Cordoba (Spain). A total of 151 patients (mean age = 14.50, SD = 2.67; 41.1% girls) participated at T1, while 97 participated at T2 (mean age = 14.93, SD = 2.56; 39.2% girls). Participants completed a self-report questionnaire. Descriptive, reliability, correlation, path, and mediation analyses were performed. The explanatory model showed excellent fit indices [χ2 (10) = 8.62, p = 0.57, RMSEA = 0.00, 95% [0.00, 0.10], CFI = 1.00, GFI = 0.98, AGFI = 0.93, and TLI = 1.01]. The results showed significant and positive relationships between family social support and subjective emotional wellbeing and improved self-care skills. Self-efficacy presented a mediating role between family social support and subjective emotional wellbeing. Given that self-efficacy is a self-regulatory mechanism and a determinant of health, it is argued that future psychoeducational interventions could aim to improve self-efficacy to manage chronic diseases, to achieve greater emotional wellbeing in children and adolescents with T1D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The demographic growth and the development of the welfare system have been accompanied by an important social dilemma between preserving nature or promoting energy development by assuming the benefits and risks of both proposals. This research attempts to address this social dilemma by analyzing the psychosocial factors that influence the acceptance or rejection of a new uranium mining development and exploitation project. The main objective was to test an explanatory theoretical model of uranium mining project acceptance, based on the interrelation of sociodemographic variables (e.g., age, gender, economic and educational situation, and level of knowledge about uranium energy) and cognitive variables (e.g., environmental beliefs, risk, and benefit perceptions), along with the activation of an emotional balance in response to the proposal of constructing a uranium mine. Method: Three hundred seventy-one individuals responded to the questionnaire about the variables included in the model. Results: The results showed that older participants showed lower levels of agreement with the mining proposal people, while women and those with greater knowledge of nuclear energy perceived greater risks and had a more negative emotional balance. The proposed explanatory model based on sociodemographic, cognitive, and affective variables showed good fit indices for explaining the assessment of the uranium mine. Thus, age, level of knowledge, risks and benefits, and emotional balance had a direct effect on the acceptance of the mine. Likewise, emotional balance showed a partial mediation effect between the relationships existing between the perception of benefits and risks and the acceptance of the mining proposal. Discussion: The results are discussed based on the consideration of analyzing sociodemographic, cognitive, and affective variables to understand potential conflicts in communities affected by energy projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Available evidence in Africa suggests that the prevalence of depression in primary care settings is high but it often goes unrecognized. In this study, we explored how depression is conceptualized and communicated among community members and primary care attendees diagnosed with depression in rural Ethiopia with the view to informing the development of interventions to improve detection. We conducted individual interviews with purposively selected primary care attendees with depression (n = 28; 16 females and 12 males) and focus group discussions (FGDs) with males, females, and priests (n = 21) selected based on their knowledge of their community. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. None of the community members identified depression as a mental illness. They considered depressive symptoms presented in a vignette as part of a normal reaction to the stresses of life. They considered medical intervention only when the woman's condition in the vignette deteriorated and "affected her mind." In contrast, participants with depression talked about their condition as illness. Symptoms spontaneously reported by these participants only partially matched symptoms listed in the current diagnostic criteria for depressive disorders. In all participants' accounts, spiritual explanations and traditional healing were prominent. The severity of symptoms mediates the decision to seek medical help. Improved detection may require an understanding of local conceptualizations in order to negotiate an intervention that is acceptable to affected people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of formative studies to design a program of collaborative care for persons with psychosis, we explored personal experience and lay attributions of illness as well as treatment among persons who had recently received care at traditional and faith healers' (TFHs) facilities in three cultural groups in Sub-Saharan Africa. A purposive sample of 85 individuals in Ibadan (Nigeria), Kumasi (Ghana), and Nairobi (Kenya) were interviewed. Data was inductively explored for themes and analysis was informed by the Framework Method. Across the three sites, illness experiences featured suffering and disability in different life domains. Predominant causal attribution was supernatural, even when biological causation was also acknowledged. Prayer and rituals, steeped in traditional spiritual beliefs, were prominent both in traditional faith healing settings as well as those of Christianity and Islam. Concurrent or consecutive use of TFHs and conventional medical services was common. TFHs provided services that appear to meet the therapeutic goals of their patients even when harmful treatment practices were employed. Cultural and linguistic differences did not obscure the commonality of a core set of beliefs and practices across these three groups. This similarity of core worldviews across diverse cultural settings means that a collaborative approach designed in one cultural group would, with adaptations to reflect differences in context, be applicable in another cultural group. Studies of patients' experience of illness and care are useful in designing and implementing collaborations between biomedical and TFH services as a way of scaling up services and improving the outcome of psychosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The suicide rate in Java is increasingly worrying. Furthermore, there is still a limited exploration of suicide in Javanese culture. This qualitative research intended to explore the perception of suicide in the Javanese with Arthur Kleinman's explanatory model framework. We interviewed 21 Javanese, of which 28.5% had a history of attempted suicide. Grounded theory analysis found that the Javanese have various terms for suicide based on how suicide is conducted, emotional nuances, and influences of taboo. Suicide is believed to be influenced by suffering, loss of hope, alienation, mental frailty, and low religiosity. It is important to consider cultural characteristics in suicide prevention campaigns and suicide management programs. This article encourages cultural sensitivity for clinicians and health authorities to accommodate the Javanese belief in suicide prevention programs as well as the delivery of effective interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple sclerosis (MS) presents a high prevalence, a marked increase worldwide, and a relevant impact on patients, public health, and society. Anxiety often cooccurs with MS and can contribute to the worsening of MS symptoms. However, knowledge about predictors of anxiety in Patients with MS (PwMS) is scarce. Objective: This preliminary study explored a novel model for anxiety symptoms in PwMS, including neuropathic pain (NeP), cognitive fusion (CF), experiential avoidance (EA), and alexithymia as explanatory factors. Method: This cross‐sectional study integrated two independent convenience samples: 107 PwMS recruited from the Portuguese Society for Multiple Sclerosis and 97 age‐ and gender‐matched participants without the MS diagnosis (no‐MS sample) recruited from the Portuguese general population. Self‐report questionnaires that measured the constructs included in the model were administered to both groups. Results: PwMS showed significantly higher values regarding anxiety symptoms and their explanatory variables (NeP, CF, EA, alexithymia) in comparison to non‐MS participants. In the MS sample, no correlations were found between anxiety symptoms and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. NeP, CF, and alexithymia showed significant correlations with anxiety symptoms and significantly explained this symptomatology in simple linear regression models. Thus, these variables were retained in the multiple linear regression model and emerged as significant regressors that together explained 38% of the variance in anxious symptomatology in PwMS. Conclusions: This preliminary study provides novel evidence on NeP and some maladaptive emotion regulation strategies related to EA/psychological inflexibility, as vulnerability to anxiety in PwMS can be considerably increased by CF and alexithymia. Clinical implications were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectivesTo assess the effectiveness of four doses of the vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 in the general population and the impact of this on the severity of the disease by age group.MethodsBy using data from the health authority public data base, we build statistical models using R and the GAMLSS library to explain the behavior of new SARS-CoV-2 infections, active COVID-19 cases, ICU bed requirement total and by age group, and deaths at the national level.ResultsThe four doses of vaccine and at least the interaction between the first and second doses were important explanatory factors for the protective effect against COVID-19. The R2 for new cases per day was 0.5644 and for occupied ICU beds the R2 is 0.9487. For occupied ICU beds for >70 years R2 is 0.9195 and with the interaction between 4 doses as the main factor.ConclusionsAlthough the increase in the number of vaccine doses did not adequately explain the decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases, it explained the decrease in ICU admissions and deaths nationwide and by age group.

Item quality is crucial to psychometric analyses for cognitive diagnosis. In cognitive diagnosis models (CDMs), item quality is often quantified in terms of item parameters (e.g., guessing and slipping parameters). Calibrating the item parameters with only item response data, as a common practice, could result in challenges in identifying the cause of low-quality items (e.g., the correct answer is easy to be guessed) or devising an effective plan to improve the item quality. To resolve these challenges, we propose the item explanatory CDMs where the CDM item parameters are explained with item features such that item features can serve as an additional source of information for item parameters. The utility of the proposed models is demonstrated with the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)-released items and response data: around 20 item linguistic features were extracted from the item stem with natural language processing techniques, and the item feature engineering process is elaborated in the paper. The proposed models are used to examine the relationships between the guessing/slipping item parameters of the higher-order DINA model and eight of the item features. The findings from a follow-up simulation study are presented, which corroborate the validity of the inferences drawn from the empirical data analysis. Finally, future research directions are discussed.

IntroductionThe demographic growth and the development of the welfare system have been accompanied by an important social dilemma between preserving nature or promoting energy development by assuming the benefits and risks of both proposals. This research attempts to address this social dilemma by analyzing the psychosocial factors that influence the acceptance or rejection of a new uranium mining development and exploitation project. The main objective was to test an explanatory theoretical model of uranium mining project acceptance, based on the interrelation of sociodemographic variables (e.g., age, gender, economic and educational situation, and level of knowledge about uranium energy) and cognitive variables (e.g., environmental beliefs, risk, and benefit perceptions), along with the activation of an emotional balance in response to the proposal of constructing a uranium mine.MethodThree hundred seventy-one individuals responded to the questionnaire about the variables included in the model.ResultsThe results showed that older participants showed lower levels of agreement with the mining proposal people, while women and those with greater knowledge of nuclear energy perceived greater risks and had a more negative emotional balance. The proposed explanatory model based on sociodemographic, cognitive, and affective variables showed good fit indices for explaining the assessment of the uranium mine. Thus, age, level of knowledge, risks and benefits, and emotional balance had a direct effect on the acceptance of the mine. Likewise, emotional balance showed a partial mediation effect between the relationships existing between the perception of benefits and risks and the acceptance of the mining proposal.DiscussionThe results are discussed based on the consideration of analyzing sociodemographic, cognitive, and affective variables to understand potential conflicts in communities affected by energy projects.

Background: The patient's understanding of the illness may mediate beliefs towards its treatment. There is a paucity of studies examining the relationships between these variables in depression. This study was conducted to know the relationships between explanatory models and attitude to medication in depression. Methods: 494 patients with depression in remission were assessed with sociodemographic proforma, Drug Attitude Inventory, and Mental Distress Explanatory Model Questionnaire. Results: A favorable attitude toward medication was observed in 57.49% of participants. Mean scores on MDEMQ subscales Stress, Western Physiology, Non-Western Physiology, and Supernatural were 32.96, 21.87, 10.06, and 47.55, respectively. Statistically significant associations were found between attitude towards medication and the patient's marital status (more negative attitude with single status, χ2 = 11.72, df = 3, P = 0.008) and occupation (more negative attitude among unemployed patients, χ2 = 4.17, df = 1, P = 0.041). The scores of explanatory models did not differ based on positive or negative drug attitude. Conclusion: Though explanatory models are not linked to patient attitudes toward medication, patients who are single or unemployed have a negative attitude toward medications. Such negative attitude may impair compliance and worsen patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job embeddedness is defined as a combination of organizational and extra-organizational factors that prevent a person from leaving their job. The background of job embeddedness is not clearly established in the literature. The aim of this study was to analyze the interactions between organizational practices, innovative work behavior, and job satisfaction as possible explanatory variables. A quantitative, correlational-explanatory, and cross-sectional empirical verification was carried out on a non-probabilistic sample of 381 Argentine workers. Validated scales were applied to measure the variables studied. The results indicate that innovative work behavior is a mediator, and job satisfaction is a moderator in the relationships between practices and job embeddedness. The findings show the importance of innovative work behaviors to increase well-being at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Educación y Humanismo is the property of Universidad Simon Bolivar and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The necessity and importance of long-term forecasts of the development of psychology is emphasized. The strengths of the forecast of the development of psychological science by 2030 conducted under the direction of A.L. Zhuravlev, Т.А. Nestik, A.V. Yurevich, are shown. The significance of the identity of Russian psychology is substantiated. The conclusion of the presence of the "era of psychology" is argued. A sequence of stages in the development of a strategy for the development of Russian psychology is proposed. The lack of a sound development strategy is the main reason that inhibits the progress of Russian psychology. Those who do not create their own strategies always perform other’s.

Developing and improving mechanism-oriented computational models to better explain biological phenomena is a dynamic and expanding frontier. As the complexity of targeted phenomena has increased, so too has the diversity in methods and terminologies, often at the expense of clarity, which can make reproduction challenging, even problematic. To encourage improved semantic and methodological clarity, we describe the spectrum of Mechanism-oriented Models being used to develop explanations of biological phenomena. We cluster explanations of phenomena into three broad groups. We then expand them into seven workflow-related model types having distinguishable features. We name each type and illustrate with examples drawn from the literature. These model types may contribute to the foundation of an ontology of mechanism-based biomedical simulation research. We show that the different model types manifest and exert their scientific usefulness by enhancing and extending different forms and degrees of explanation. The process starts with knowledge about the phenomenon and continues with explanatory and mathematical descriptions. Those descriptions are transformed into software and used to perform experimental explorations by running and examining simulation output. The credibility of inferences is thus linked to having easy access to the scientific and technical provenance from each workflow stage.

Information dissemination refers to how information spreads among users on social networks. With the widespread application of mobile communication and internet technologies, people increasingly rely on information on the internet, and the mode of information dissemination is constantly changing. Researchers have performed various studies from mathematical modeling and cascade prediction perspectives to explore the previous problem. However, lacking a comprehensive review of the latest information dissemination models hinders scientific development. As a result, it is essential to review the latest models or methods. In this paper, we review information dissemination models from the past three years and conduct a detailed analysis, such as explanatory and predictive models. Moreover, we provide public datasets, evaluation metrics, and interface tools for researchers focusing more on algorithm design and modeling. Finally, we discuss the model application and future research directions. This paper aims to understand better the research progress and development trends for beginners and guide future research endeavors. We believe this article will attract more researchers’ interest and attention to the information dissemination field on social networks.

Copyright of Global Qualitative Nursing Research is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Clinical variation in the expression of panic disorder, depression and anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has have been documented across cultures. However, local (emic) cultural models that explain how people make sense of their illness experiences remain relatively understudied in India among trauma-exposed populations. Further, the integration of emic findings into clinical care is limited, underscoring the need for emic perspectives following trauma to improve the development or adaptation of trauma-focused treatments in India. This study describes an emic explanatory model of distress, which includes idioms of distress, perceived causes of distress, and coping/help-seeking behaviors among Indian women from slums reporting gender-based violence. This explanatory model can be used as a culturally grounded way to develop clinical case conceptualizations to adapt and deliver psychological treatments for this under-served population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of mortality among Thais. Understanding patients' perceptions of colorectal cancer can help in the design of educational programs to enhance awareness of colorectal cancer among Thais. This study aims to elucidate illness explanatory models of colorectal cancer and their perceptions of colorectal cancer through the explanatory model. In-depth interviews with 30 patients about their perceptions and experiences of colorectal cancer were subjected to thematic analysis. The findings show that the patients were unaware of colorectal cancer, had misconceptions regarding colorectal cancer detection and screening; they considered the symptoms to be the result of hemorrhoids, karma, and heredity. Their explanatory model underlies the body of knowledge grounded in the lay explanation which results in perception, beliefs, relative experiences, and approaches to illness management. There is a need for further information about colorectal cancer symptoms to assist symptom recognition through cancer education and screening programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Conversion disorder is easily one of the least understood neuropsychiatric disorders. There is a great deal of ambiguity with respect to symptom presentation, assessment, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. However, a common clinical practice associated with the assessment and management of the conversion disorder is the evaluation of a stressor. Recent studies in India have indicated that family stressors are the most frequent. Sociocultural aspects of the client's environment and the illness experience thus form an important part of the client's diagnostic formulation. These aspects also determine help-seeking, treatment adherence, and thus, the outcomes. Materials and Methods: Fifteen clients suffering from conversion disorder in a tertiary mental health setting in North India, recruited through purposive sampling, were interviewed in-depth. Data were elicited using the cultural formulation interview (CFI). Qualitative content analysis was carried out. Results: The content analyses summarized the cultural experiences of clients suffering from conversion disorder under structured domains of the CFI. The results are presented in tables along with content examples and represent individual client experiences and conceptualizations of diagnosis, treatment, and implications of suffering from conversion disorder. The findings of this study aim to describe and highlight the cultural experiences of clients with respect to their psychopathology. The most striking recurrent theme in the cultural formulations were the lack of understanding of the nature and cause of illness both in the client as well as the clinician, and therefore a lack of trust and hope in the treatment. Conclusion: The findings of the current study shed light on the cultural experiences of clients with conversion disorder. These findings emphasize the need for clinicians to incorporate the individual and collective cultural experiences of clients and cultural sensitivity in addition to the clinical diagnoses. The Cultural Formulation Interview of the DSM-5 was found to be very helpful in this regard and we encourage its use by clinicians, especially with clients suffering from conversion disorder, given the strong influences of socio-cultural experiences on psychopathology as well as the intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mental illness does not have a homogeneous definition since its explanation varies across the culture. Caregivers are playing a vital role in the decision-making process of patient treatment. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate the explanatory models (EMs) about mental illnesses and treatment-seeking behavior (TSB) prevalent among the patients' caregivers in Jharkhand, India. Methods: The present study was conducted among the patients' caregivers from the Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand, India. Two-hundred and forty respondents were selected through a convenient sampling method. A sociodemographic detail sheet used for recording the sociodemographic profile of the respondents and semi-structure interview schedule sheet was used to record the EMs and TSB of the respondents. Results: Most caregivers understand mental illness as a brain dysfunction (50.4%) but unaware of the causation of it (48.3%). Whereas 82.1% of patients' caregivers prefer medical facilities for the treatment; at the same time, 57.5% prefer faith healers or religios practice to cure. Conclusion: It can be inferred from the results that half of the respondents still have other kinds of EMs on the causation of mental illness. Although the high frequency of seeking medical facilities has come in the result, different modes of treatment seeking which are done parallelly by caregivers such as faith and traditional healing cannot be ignored. Therefore, there is a need to raise the mental health literacy in this region in addition to the medical and psychiatric care facilities.

The aim of this study was to analyze the explanatory level of the variables advertising influence, verbal messages, social models and social situations as regards body dissatisfaction, weight worry, and bodily discomfort. The study was conducted in a convenience sample of 206 Mexican women with an average age of 22.12 years (SD = 4.21). Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the direct and indirect effects of the independent variables on the dependent ones in three hypothetical models proposed. In the case of the model proposed for body dissatisfaction, it was found that the set of vari-ables had 79% of variance explained and showed adequate goodness-of-fit indices (χ2/gl = .877; GFI = .982; CFI = .978; AGFI = .980; SRMR = .068; RMSEA = .079). The model for weight worry had 62% of variance explained and an acceptable goodness of fit (χ2/gl = 1.556; GFI = .981; CFI = .975; AGFI = .978; SRMR = .068; RMSEA = .080). Finally, the model for bodily discomfort had 72% of variance explained and showed adequate goodness of fit (χ2/gl = .173; GFI = .976; CFI = .969; AGFI = .972; SRMR = .062; RMSEA = .072). It is concluded that social influences have a significant impact on body image. Verbal messages had the strongest impact on the variables studied.

Among the myriad causes of intellectual disability (ID), Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the leading genetic cause. Yet, little is known of how people affected by this condition make sense of it. The present study aimed to investigate the explanatory models for the causes of FXS in an extended family mainly affected by this condition and members of the village from which they originated in Cameroon. Using an ethnographic approach, 92 participants were interviewed (59 females and 33 males) through 10 focus group discussions and 23 in‐depth interviews between April 2018 and February 2020. Data analysis revealed four explanatory models regarding the etiologies of FXS in the community. Firstly, the curse model described a curse from the chief because of the belief that his wives did not mourn his intellectually disabled servant. Secondly, the spiritual model relates FXS to a punishment from God. Thirdly, the socioeconomic model attributes FXS to events in the prenatal and perinatal periods. Finally, the genetic model describes the pattern of inheritance of the disease in the family. This paper helps to understand the explanatory disease models that exist for FXS in rural Cameroon and could inform genetic counseling practices, community genetic education, and policymakers when drafting protocols for public engagement activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women are often the victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Though China has established its first statute against domestic violence, the service developments for victims fall behind. It is important to assess community members' perceptions of what causes IPV to create interventions to prevent and address IPV. This study completed the Short Explanatory Model Interview (SEMI) among a subset sample from a large epidemiology study in rural Sichuan China. The social ecological model was applied to analyze qualitative interviews. Among 339 participants, the average age was 46.01 ± 12.42 years old. There were 31.86% of them had been educated, 14.75% of them had migrant worker partners, and 49.26% of them had experienced violence from their partners in the last year. There were 252 participants attributed IPV to individual factors, and they primarily discussed the social characteristics, behaviors, personalities or even health problems of the husband or the wife in the vignette. Under this theme, there were 86 participants blaming the victim for being anxious, social disconnectedness or lazy; and there were 166 participants blaming to the perpetrator being abusive, irresponsibility, lack of understanding, and cheating. There were 44 women believed the cause was relational, in which there were 41 participants attributed the problem to the broken relationship between the couple and three participants attributed to the lack of support. There were 28 participants believed the cause was communal and societal, such as being poor, family problems, fate, and believed IPV was a common scene. There were 15 participants could not identify the cause of IPV. These participants usually provided very brief responses and barely had insight on violent behaviors or confidence in discussing the cause. Our findings offer a direction for understanding the rural Chinese women's beliefs about the etiology of IPV to better develop interventions which must consider raising a public awareness campaign about the risk factors of IPV and focus on reducing self-blame among victims.

Background: KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) remains the epicentre of the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic in South Africa. The incidence of HIV infection in KZN necessitates cost-effective strategies to curb the spread of infection. Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) has been adopted as an additional biomedical preventive strategy since 2010 in line with recommendations from the World Health Organization. Despite several attempts to scale-up VMMC to reach age specific targets to achieve immediate aversion of infections, the uptake of VMMC remains sub-optimal, particularly in KZN. The purpose of this study is to describe the processes that were followed in developing, describing and evaluating an explanatory model for VMMC in KZN, South Africa. Methods: A qualitative theory-generative phenomenographic study design was used to analyse the qualitative differences in primary healthcare stakeholders’ experiences, understanding and conceptions of VMMC in KZN, South Africa. The emerging results informed the development of the VMMC explanatory model for KZN, South Africa. The model development process followed four steps, namely (1) concept analysis, (2) construction of relational statements, (3) model description and (4) model evaluation. The criteria of relevance for the target audience – applicability, clarity, user friendliness and originality of work – were used to evaluate the model. Results: The model’s central premise is that the decision to undergo VMMC is shaped by a complex interplay of factors in the context or external environment of males (the extrinsic variable), which influences specific experiences, conceptions and understanding regarding VMMC (the influential/intrinsic variables). These collectively determine men’s responses to VMMC (the outcome variable). Conclusion: The model describes the process by which contextual, extrinsic and intrinsic variables interact to determine an individual male’s response to VMMC, thus providing a guide to primary healthcare providers on care, practice and policy interventions to support the uptake of VMMC in the rural primary healthcare context of KZN, South Africa.

The theory of preference matrix proposes coherence and complexity as informational variables to explain landscape preferences. To understand the relationship between the perceived coherence/complexity and the visual attributes of landscape scenes, we constructed multivariate generalized linear models based on a questionnaire study. A total of 488 respondents’ ratings of the preference, the perceived coherence and complexity, and four visual attributes, namely, the openness of visual scale (openness), the richness of composing elements (richness), the orderliness of organization (orderliness), and the depth of view (depth), of a set of digitally manipulated landscape scenes were analyzed. The results showed that landscape preference needed to be explained with coherence and complexity together. Meanwhile, rather than showing the one-one connection with a single visual attribute, the degree of perceived coherence/complexity should be explained with multiple visual attributes. Ranked by explanatory power, the coherence was positively related to orderliness, negatively related to richness, and positively related to openness. The complexity was positively influenced by the level of richness, depth, and negatively influenced by orderliness and openness. Based on the results, feasible ways to build landscape environments with both preferable coherence and complexity were proposed.

Abstract Background That there is a relationship between human rights and health is well established and frequently discussed. However, actions intended to take account of the relationship between human rights and social determinants of health have often been limited by lack of clarity and ambiguity concerning how these rights and determinants may interact and affect each other. It is difficult to know what to do when you do not understand how things work. As our own understanding of this consideration is founded on perspectives provided by the critical realist paradigm, we present an account of and commentary on our application of these perspectives in an investigation of this relationship. Findings We define the concept of paradigm and review critical realism and related implications for construction of knowledge concerning this relationship. Those implications include the need to theorise possible entities involved in the relationship together with their distinctive properties and consequential power to affect one another through exercise of their respective mechanisms (ways of working). This theorising work enabled us identify a complex, multi-layered assembly of entities involved in the relationship and some of the array of causal mechanisms that may be in play. These are presented in a summary framework. Conclusion Researchers’ views about the nature of knowledge and its construction inevitably influence their research aims, approaches and outcomes. We demonstrate that by attending to these views, which are founded in their paradigm positioning, researchers can make more progress in understanding the relationship between human rights and the social determinants of health, in particular when engaged in theorizing work. The same approaches could be drawn on when other significant relationships in health environments are investigated.

The empirical study carried out was based on a questionnaire administered to the research laboratories managers of the sciences and techniques faculties across Morocco. This questionnaire is a tool for measuring the level of implementation of good quality management practices in research. It was developed on the basis of standards linked directly or indirectly to quality management in research. Further to the results of this study, an explanatory model was established, based on a multiple linear regression, to identify the existence of an influence of good practices of quality management in research on the performance of Moroccan research laboratories. This model demonstrated that this performance is determined by 4 variables which are: "laboratory management", "material resources", good practices linked to "carrying out scientific research activities" and to the "validation and evaluation of the research results". The major element of influence is undoubtedly the first two variables. This involves that the variation in the overall "laboratory performance" is very sensitive compared to any variation in these two variables. That said, to improve the "laboratory performance", staff is required to invest in setting up good-quality management practices which are linked to these two variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultural understanding of illness among caregivers of first-episode psychotic persons is a crucial issue. Not only does it influence caregivers' care-seeking behavior and length of time until receiving medical treatment (known as the 'duration of untreated psychosis' or DUP), but it also predicts the outcome of the illness. This article aims to explore cultural understanding and care-seeking behavior among caregivers of psychotic patients in Java, Indonesia. Data for this article have been taken from two studies conducted by our research group in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Methods of data collection include surveys, case studies, ethnographic fieldwork, and in-depth interviews. Results of analyses, within and across studies, indicate that caregivers have employed diverse cultural explanatory models in order to understand psychotic illness. Local cultural beliefs, including possession and forms of black magic, were among the most common initial concepts held by family members in relation to psychosis. This echoes broader cultural beliefs in Java. However, it was not uncommon for caregivers to also understand illness in psychological terms (such as frustration, disappointment, and stress) and attached medical explanations. Caregivers' understanding of illness also changed over time following the changing course of the illness. Both models of illness and the rapidity of care-seeking are also related to the acuteness of onset. This article concludes that it is important for mental health providers, as well as those designing systems of care, to understand the diversity and changing nature of caregivers' cultural understanding of psychotic illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Ingenius, Revista Ciencia y Tecnología is the property of Universidad Politecnica Salesiana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)