This study aims to investigate the effect of observer's gender and target's gender on attitudes toward people who use wheelchairs due to a physical disability. Four hundred four Jewish Israeli students without disabilities completed the Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Toward Persons With Disabilities (MAS). Initially, confirmatory factor analysis was used to revalidate the MAS. Five factors of attitudes were confirmed: distancing behaviors, positive cognitions, negative emotions, interpersonal stress, and calm. Findings showed that an encounter with a person using a wheelchair raised more positive cognitions and less distancing behaviors, but also evoked more negative emotions, than an encounter with a person without a disability. In the case of an encounter with a person without a disability, men contributed to greater interpersonal stress among women, whereas women contributed to greater interpersonal stress among men. The multidimensional approach revealed that the effect of gender was mostly salient with regard to interpersonal stress.

Background: The issue of using advanced tracking technologies such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS) is part of a wider debate on the acceptability of assistive technology to older people with dementia. The use of GPS can enhance the personal safety of older people by alerting caregivers to potential dangers or adverse events that might threaten the individual's health and safety, but at the same time it raises ethical concerns. This study examines the attitudes of cognitively intact older people toward the use of tracking devices for people with dementia. Methods: The analysis is based on quantitative data from a convenience sample (n = 42) and qualitative data gathered from two focus groups of cognitively intact older people in Israel. Results: Whereas cognitively intact older people clearly differentiate between themselves and people with dementia, they support the use of tracking devices when dementia is either formally diagnosed or its signs are evident. They value the safety of people with dementia above preserving their autonomy. Although they perceive the decision to use tracking devices as an intra-family issue, they expect guidance from professional caregivers of people with dementia. The acceptability of tracking devices is dependent on their appropriate weight, size and ease of use. Conclusions: Cognitively intact older people favor the idea of tracking people with dementia. To facilitate family decision-making on the use of tracking devices, structured meetings guided by professionals and including persons with dementia and their family caregivers are suggested.

הקשר שבין סכיזופרניה למיצב (סטטוס) חברתי-כלכלי נחקר רבות, אולם ממצאים לא עקיבים הקשו על הבנתו. מטרת המחקר הנוכחי היתה לבחון את הקשר בין מיצב חברתי-כלכלי ברמת הפרט והקהילה ואת הסיכוי לאשפוז על רקע של אבחנת סכיזופרניה. במחקר נעשה ניתוח רב-שכבתי על נתונים שהתקבלו מסקר בריאות האישה ההרה ותינוקה (JPS – Jerusalem Perinatal Study), הכוללים מידע חברתי-כלכלי על אודות כלל היילודים במערב ירושלים בשנים 1976-1964. סקר זה אוחד עם מאגר הרישום הפסיכיאטרי הארצי של משרד הבריאות. ההשפעה של משתני המיצב החברתי-כלכלי ברמת הפרט (מאפיינים של הורי היילוד) וברמת הקהילה (מאפיינים של אזור המגורים) על הסיכוי לאשפוז עקב סכיזופרניה בבגרות נבחנה במבחן דו-משתני וכן בתסוגה (רגרסיה) רב-שכבתית. מן הממצאים עולה כי מיצב חברתי-כלכלי נמוך בעת הלידה הן ברמת הפרט הן ברמת הקהילה קשור לסיכון גבוה יחסית לאשפוז על רקע של אבחנת סכיזופרניה בבגרות. גורמי הסיכון לאשפוז עקב אבחנת סכיזופרניה בבגרות הם מאפייני המיצב החברתי-כלכלי האלה בזמן הלידה: השכלת אב נמוכה יחסית, יוקרת מקצוע נמוכה יחסית של האב ואזור מגורים ברמה חברתית-כלכלית נמוכה. (מתוך המאמר)

This study examined the attitudes of family and professional care-givers towards the use of advanced electronic tracking such as GPS (Global Positioning Systems) and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) for elderly people with dementia. The study revealed four principal findings. First, care-givers' views ranged from feeling obligated to use the tracking device for the sake of patients' safety through support of the use of the device for the sake of the care-givers' peace of mind and restricted support, to objection to the use of the device and respect for a person's autonomy. Second, family care-givers showed higher support for the use of GPS and RFID both for their own peace of mind and for the safety of the elder in their care. Professionals attached higher value to respect for a person's autonomy and restricted support for using GPS and RFID. Third, both family and professional care-givers agreed that the decision on tracking dementia patients should be an intra-family issue. Fourth, family care-givers attached more importance to the tracking device's characteristics and design, thus emphasizing that the tracking device must be considered by them as 'user-friendly'. The implications of the results for social work are also discussed.

Background: The Family Quality of Life Survey (FQOLS-2006) was developed as the result of increased interest in family quality of life (FQOL) among families with a member who has an intellectual disability (ID). The instrument includes nine life domains and six dimensions reflecting the main areas and characteristics of FQOL. The aim of the current study was to provide a descriptive analysis of the domains and dimensions of the survey and to explore their relationship to one another and to global satisfaction. Method: A convenience sample of 35 participants with a family member who had ID completed the FQOLS-2006 in a large urban centre in Canada. The data were analysed using descriptive analyses. Results: The findings showed that although participants differentiated between different domains and dimensions, as reflected in their variability, stability was also found. For example, support from others was rated lowest across most dimensions, while family relationships and health of the family were generally rated higher. Conclusions: The findings strengthen the importance of examining both the overall perception of FQOL as well as the perceptions in individual life domains. Moreover, they highlight the need to examine each life domain according to its various dimensions. In sum, the results call for further examination of the FQOLS-2006 as a useful tool for assessing FQOL and for implementing services based on it.

The effect of out-of-home residential placement on families has been previously studied. However, no study has examined this issue through the lens of "family quality of life" (FQoL). The aim of this study was to produce a picture of FQoL among families with a member with an intellectual disability (ID) who has multiple diagnoses (i.e., an additional condition such as a behavioral or emotional disturbance). FQoL before and after residential placement was examined. Sixteen family carers with family members with an ID participated in an in-depth interview focusing on five areas of FQoL: stress, coping, emotional impact, family relationships, and overall FQoL. The authors found that most families reported positive emotional changes after the placement occurred, except for lingering guilt and worry. In addition, after placement, families experienced more freedom, enhanced FQoL, and an improvement in familial relationships. Coping mechanisms, including problem-focused and emotion-focused coping, as well as external support resources, were utilized before and after placement. These findings suggest that an out-of-home residential placement of a family member with an ID both positively and negatively impacts the entire family. The authors propose a number of support recommendations that might serve to enhance the QoL of the individual with a disability, specific family members, and the family as a whole.

Background. One of the more common behavioral manifestations of dementia-related disorders is severe problems with out-of-home mobility. Various efforts have been attempted to attain a better understanding of mobility behavior, but most studies are based on institutionalized patients and the assessment usually relies on reports of caregivers and institutional staff, using observational approaches, activity monitoring, or behavioral checklists. The current manuscript describes the research protocol of a project that measures mobility in Alzheimer's disease and related cognitive disorders in an innovative way, by taking advantage of advanced tracking technologies. Methods/design. Participants are 360 demented persons, mildly cognitively impaired persons, and unimpaired controls aged ≥ 65 in Israel and Germany. Data regarding space-time activities will be collected via a GPS tracking kit for a period of 4 weeks in 3 waves (one year apart) with the same participants (using a repeated measures design). Participants will be interviewed by use of a battery of instruments prior to and following GPS data collection. Further, a family member will complete a questionnaire both before and after data tracking. Statistical analyses will strive to explain differences in mobility based on a wide range of socio-structural, clinical, affect-related and environmental variables. We will also assess the impact of the use of advanced tracking technology on the quality of life of dementia patients and care givers, as well as its potential as a diagnostic tool. Systematic assessment of ethical issues involved in the use of tracking technology will be an integral component of the project. Discussion. This project will be able to make a substantial contribution to basic as well as applied and clinical aspects in the area of mobility and cognitive impairment research. The innovative technologies applied in this study will allow for assessing a range of dimensions of out-of-home mobility, and provide better quality data.

המאמר מציג ובודק שתי תיאוריות המנסות להסביר את הקשר שבין מעמד חברתי-כלכלי וסכיזופרניה. האחת, תיאוריית ההידרדרות והסלקציה החברתית, גורסת כי אנשים הלוקים בסכיזופרניה מידרדרים למעמדות חברתיים-כלכליים נמוכים יותר לאחר התפרצות המחלה. לעומתה, תיאוריית הסיבתיות החברתית מייחסת את הקשר שבין מעמד חברתי-כלכלי וסכיזופרניה למצוקות שחווים אנשים ממעמדות חברתיים-כלכליים נמוכים. המאמר דן בממצאי מחקרים שבדקו את הקשר שבין מעמד חברתי-כלכלי לבין סכיזופרניה, ובוחן את תמיכתם בתיאוריות הנדונות. כמו כן בוחן המאמר את הקשר שבין מוצא אתני לבין סכיזופרניה, היות שלהשתייכות לקבוצת מיעוט אתנית יש אפיונים דומים כמו להשתייכות למעמד חברתי-כלכלי נמוך. לבסוף דן המאמר בהשלכות יישומיות מבחינת מדיניות, פרקטיקה ומחקר עתידי בתחום (תקציר מתוך המאמר).

This study presents the development of a new instrument, the Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Toward Persons With Disabilities (MAS). Based on the multidimensional approach, it posits that attitudes are composed of three dimensions: affect, cognition, and behavior. The scale was distributed to a sample of 132 people along with a self-esteem measure and a frequently employed attitude scale, the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP). The construct and concurrent validity of the questionnaire was demonstrated by reliability and factor analyses, as well as by comparison with the ATDP scale. Principal component factor analysis revealed three correlated but distinct factors. Results show that women hold more positive behavioral attitudes than men. Interestingly, men with high self-esteem were found to hold more positive cognitions than men with low self-esteem. Results indicate the importance of a multidimensional approach both for the construction of sound instruments and for professional interventions aimed at modifying attitudes toward persons with disabilities.

Background: Inconsistent findings obscure understanding the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and schizophrenia. The aim of the current study was to test the association between individual and community SES at birth and risk of schizophrenia. Method: Population-based longitudinal follow forward study of a 13-year birth cohort (n = 71 165). Effects of individual and community socioeconomic variables were examined using multilevel regression in MLwiN. Results: Years of education of fathers and mothers, respectively, (0-8 vs 13+ odds ratio [OR] = 1.17, P < .0001; OR = 1.14, P < .001) lower occupational status of fathers (OR = 1.2