Social Causes of Psychological Distress

Social Causes of Psychological Distress PDF Author: Catherine E. Ross
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351490516
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 329

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Book Description
A core interest of social science is the study of stratification--inequalities in income, power, and prestige. Few persons would care about such inequalities if the poor, powerless, and despised were as happy and fulfilled as the wealthy, powerful, and admired. Social research often springs from humanistic empathy and concern as much as from scholarly and scientific curiosity. An economist might observe that black Americans are disproportionately poor, and investigate racial differences in education, employment, and occupation that account for disproportionate poverty. A table comparing additional income blacks and whites can expect for each additional year of education is thus as interesting in its own right as any dinosaur bone or photo of Saturn. However, something more than curiosity underscores our interest in the table. Racial differences in status and income are a problem in the human sense. Inequality in misery makes social and economic inequality personally meaningful. There are two ways social scientists avoid advocacy in addressing issues of social stratification. The first way is to resist projecting personal beliefs, values, and responses as much as possible, while recognizing that the attempt is never fully successful. The second way is by giving the values of the subjects an expression in the research design. Typically, this takes the form of opinion or attitude surveys. Researchers ask respondents to rate the seriousness of crimes, the appropriateness of a punishment for a crime, the prestige of occupations, the fair pay for a job, or the largest amount of money a family can earn and not be poor, and so on. The aggregate judgments, and variations in judgments, represent the values of the subjects and not those of the researcher. They are objective facts with causes and consequences of interest in their own right. This work is an effort to move methodology closer to human concerns without sacrificing the scientific grounds of research as such. The

Social Causes of Psychological Distress

Social Causes of Psychological Distress PDF Author: Catherine E. Ross
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351490516
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 329

Get Book Here

Book Description
A core interest of social science is the study of stratification--inequalities in income, power, and prestige. Few persons would care about such inequalities if the poor, powerless, and despised were as happy and fulfilled as the wealthy, powerful, and admired. Social research often springs from humanistic empathy and concern as much as from scholarly and scientific curiosity. An economist might observe that black Americans are disproportionately poor, and investigate racial differences in education, employment, and occupation that account for disproportionate poverty. A table comparing additional income blacks and whites can expect for each additional year of education is thus as interesting in its own right as any dinosaur bone or photo of Saturn. However, something more than curiosity underscores our interest in the table. Racial differences in status and income are a problem in the human sense. Inequality in misery makes social and economic inequality personally meaningful. There are two ways social scientists avoid advocacy in addressing issues of social stratification. The first way is to resist projecting personal beliefs, values, and responses as much as possible, while recognizing that the attempt is never fully successful. The second way is by giving the values of the subjects an expression in the research design. Typically, this takes the form of opinion or attitude surveys. Researchers ask respondents to rate the seriousness of crimes, the appropriateness of a punishment for a crime, the prestige of occupations, the fair pay for a job, or the largest amount of money a family can earn and not be poor, and so on. The aggregate judgments, and variations in judgments, represent the values of the subjects and not those of the researcher. They are objective facts with causes and consequences of interest in their own right. This work is an effort to move methodology closer to human concerns without sacrificing the scientific grounds of research as such. The

Cognitive Aging

Cognitive Aging PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309368650
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 300

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Book Description
For most Americans, staying "mentally sharp" as they age is a very high priority. Declines in memory and decision-making abilities may trigger fears of Alzheimer's disease or other neurodegenerative diseases. However, cognitive aging is a natural process that can have both positive and negative effects on cognitive function in older adults - effects that vary widely among individuals. At this point in time, when the older population is rapidly growing in the United States and across the globe, it is important to examine what is known about cognitive aging and to identify and promote actions that individuals, organizations, communities, and society can take to help older adults maintain and improve their cognitive health. Cognitive Aging assesses the public health dimensions of cognitive aging with an emphasis on definitions and terminology, epidemiology and surveillance, prevention and intervention, education of health professionals, and public awareness and education. This report makes specific recommendations for individuals to reduce the risks of cognitive decline with aging. Aging is inevitable, but there are actions that can be taken by individuals, families, communities, and society that may help to prevent or ameliorate the impact of aging on the brain, understand more about its impact, and help older adults live more fully and independent lives. Cognitive aging is not just an individual or a family or a health care system challenge. It is an issue that affects the fabric of society and requires actions by many and varied stakeholders. Cognitive Aging offers clear steps that individuals, families, communities, health care providers and systems, financial organizations, community groups, public health agencies, and others can take to promote cognitive health and to help older adults live fuller and more independent lives. Ultimately, this report calls for a societal commitment to cognitive aging as a public health issue that requires prompt action across many sectors.

Is Work Good for Your Health and Well-being?

Is Work Good for Your Health and Well-being? PDF Author: Gordon Waddell
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0117036943
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
Increasing employment and supporting people into work are key elements of the Government's public health and welfare reform agendas. This independent review, commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions, examines scientific evidence on the health benefits of work, focusing on adults of working age and the common health problems that account for two-thirds of sickness absence and long-term incapacity. The study finds that there is a strong evidence base showing that work is generally good for physical and mental health and well-being, taking into account the nature and quality of work and its social context, and that worklessness is associated with poorer physical and mental health. Work can be therapeutic and can reverse the adverse health effects of unemployment, in relation to healthy people of working age, for many disabled people, for most people with common health problems and for social security beneficiaries.

Living Mindfully Across the Lifespan

Living Mindfully Across the Lifespan PDF Author: J. Kim Penberthy
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000281531
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 238

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Book Description
Living Mindfully Across the Lifespan: An Intergenerational Guide provides user-friendly, empirically supported information about and answers to some of the most frequently encountered questions and dilemmas of human living, interactions, and emotions. With a mix of empirical data, humor, and personal insight, each chapter introduces the reader to a significant topic or question, including self-worth, anxiety, depression, relationships, personal development, loss, and death. Along with exercises that clients and therapists can use in daily practice, chapters feature personal stories and case studies, interwoven throughout with the authors’ unique intergenerational perspectives. Compassionate, engaging writing is balanced with a straightforward presentation of research data and practical strategies to help address issues via psychological, behavioral, contemplative, and movement-oriented exercises. Readers will learn how to look deeply at themselves and society, and to apply what has been learned over decades of research and clinical experience to enrich their lives and the lives of others.

Handbook of Mental Health and Aging

Handbook of Mental Health and Aging PDF Author: Nathan Hantke
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128004932
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 513

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Book Description
The Handbook of Mental Health and Aging, Third Edition provides a foundational background for practitioners and researchers to understand mental health care in older adults as presented by leading experts in the field. Wherever possible, chapters integrate research into clinical practice. The book opens with conceptual factors, such as the epidemiology of mental health disorders in aging and cultural factors that impact mental health. The book transitions into neurobiological-based topics such as biomarkers, age-related structural changes in the brain, and current models of accelerated aging in mental health. Clinical topics include dementia, neuropsychology, psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, mood disorders, anxiety, schizophrenia, sleep disorders, and substance abuse. The book closes with current and future trends in geriatric mental health, including the brain functional connectome, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), technology-based interventions, and treatment innovations. - Identifies factors influencing mental health in older adults - Includes biological, sociological, and psychological factors - Reviews epidemiology of different mental health disorders - Supplies separate chapters on grief, schizophrenia, mood, anxiety, and sleep disorders - Discusses biomarkers and genetics of mental health and aging - Provides assessment and treatment approaches

Oral Health in America

Oral Health in America PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Health promotion
Languages : en
Pages : 338

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Book Description


Theories on Drug Abuse

Theories on Drug Abuse PDF Author: National Institute on Drug Abuse. Division of Research
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Drug abuse
Languages : en
Pages : 534

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Book Description


Occupational Stress and the Mental and Physical Health of Factory Workers

Occupational Stress and the Mental and Physical Health of Factory Workers PDF Author: James S. House
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 370

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Book Description


The Cambridge Handbook of Cognitive Aging

The Cambridge Handbook of Cognitive Aging PDF Author: Ayanna K. Thomas
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108690742
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 1048

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Book Description
Decades of research have demonstrated that normal aging is accompanied by cognitive change. Much of this change has been conceptualized as a decline in function. However, age-related changes are not universal, and decrements in older adult performance may be moderated by experience, genetics, and environmental factors. Cognitive aging research to date has also largely emphasized biological changes in the brain, with less evaluation of the range of external contributors to behavioral manifestations of age-related decrements in performance. This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge cognitive aging research through the lens of a life course perspective that takes into account both behavioral and neural changes. Focusing on the fundamental principles that characterize a life course approach - genetics, early life experiences, motivation, emotion, social contexts, and lifestyle interventions - this handbook is an essential resource for researchers in cognition, aging, and gerontology.

Ergonomics and Human Factors

Ergonomics and Human Factors PDF Author: Leonard S. Mark
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 146124756X
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 464

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Book Description
And Applications To The Human-Computer Interface Michael E. Fotta AT&T Communications 16th FIr. Atrium II, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Artificial intelligence (AI) programs represent knowledge in a fashion similar to human knowledge and the activities of an AI system are closer to human behavior than that of traditional systems. Thus, AI enables the computer to act more like a human instead of making the human think and act more like a computer. This capability combined with applying human factors concepts to the interface can greatly improve the human-computer interface. This paper provides an intro duction to artificial intelligence and then proposes a number of methods for using AI to improve the human-machine inter action. AN INTRODUCTION TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Definition There are many definitions of artificial intelligence (AI) running from the very general to the very detailed. Perhaps the most well accepted general definition is that by Elaine Rich: "Artificial intelligence is the study of how to make computers do things at which, at the moment, people are better", (Rich, 1983). A good example of a detailed definition is provided by the Brattle Research Corporation; "In simplified terms, artificial intelligence works with pattern matching methods which attempt to describe objects, events or pro cesses in terms of their qualitative features and logical and compu tational relationships," (Mishkoff, 1985).