Cross-cultural perspectives on intelligent assistive technology in dementia care: comparing Israeli and German experts' attitudes.

BACKGROUND: Despite the great benefits of intelligent assistive technology (IAT) for dementia care - for example, the enhanced safety and increased independence of people with dementia and their caregivers - its practical adoption is still limited. The social and ethical issues pertaining to IAT in dementia care, shaped by factors such as culture, may explain these limitations. However, most studies have focused on understanding these issues within one cultural setting only. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore and compare the attitudes of Israeli and German dementia experts toward IAT in dementia care, to contribute to a more cultural-comparative perspective. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 experts (15 Israelis and 20 Germans) in key roles in health and community services for people with dementia as well as in the fields of dementia and IAT (e.g., computer science, electrical/biomedical engineering, ethics, nursing, and gerontology). Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data. FINDINGS: Israeli and German experts identified the same social accelerators in the development and implementation of IAT in dementia care (i.e., changes in family structure and social digitization) and benefits of adopting IAT (e.g., enhancing the safety of people with dementia and increasing their independence). However, there were differences in inhibitor/risk assessments between the two groups. Namely, economic considerations and the cognitive capacity of people with dementia were identified by both groups as inhibitors, while Israeli experts additionally reported stigma and ageism. Whereas both groups agreed that IAT might reduce human connection, and that the technology is not yet reliable enough, German experts highlighted concerns regarding privacy; in contrast, Israeli experts prioritized safety over privacy. CONCLUSIONS: Our research findings allow for the identification of relevant similarities but also important differences between German and Israeli experts' perspectives. As such, an important basis has been provided for a more in-depth discussion regarding where, why, and how culturally-sensitive technology development is needed.

Health promotion expectations and perceptions of sport club participants.

To develop health promotion (HP) in sports clubs (SCs), stakeholders need to know the HP expectations of sports participants. However, the literature does not provide information on these aspects, which exacerbates the difficulty for SCs to provide an environment, activities and organization that promote health and to play the role entrusted to them in the integration of vulnerable populations. To fill this gap, this study explores the HP expectations and perceptions of sports participants, with a particular focus on ethnocultural characteristics, and documents participants' understanding of HP. A descriptive qualitative study comprising semi-structured interviews was carried out with 22 French and Quebec sports participants. Because they have little experience with HP in their SC, participants do not seem to have many expectations of their SC in terms of HP. Nevertheless, they felt that SCs can play an important role in health and suggested several themes and types of action, such as seminars on nutrition, activities outside the SC to develop cohesion or health monitoring. Sports participants from ethnocultural minorities seem to appreciate the programs designed to integrate them. There is a predominantly physical conception of health and the contribution of SCs to health, and the relationship between the types of health determinants (economic, environmental, organizational and social) and health is not clear. This study shows that the idea of a health-promoting SC appeals to SC participants, but this approach has not yet taken root in this setting or in society as a whole.

Amyloid and SCD jointly predict cognitive decline across Chinese and German cohorts.

INTRODUCTION: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in amyloid-positive (Aß+) individuals was proposed as a clinical indicator of Stage 2 in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) continuum, but this requires further validation across cultures, measures, and recruitment strategies. METHODS: Eight hundred twenty-one participants from SILCODE and DELCODE cohorts, including normal controls (NC) and individuals with SCD recruited from the community or from memory clinics, underwent neuropsychological assessments over up to 6 years. Amyloid positivity was derived from positron emission tomography or plasma biomarkers. Global cognitive change was analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. RESULTS: In the combined and stratified cohorts, Aß+ participants with SCD showed steeper cognitive decline or diminished practice effects compared with NC or Aß- participants with SCD. These findings were confirmed using different operationalizations of SCD and amyloid positivity, and across different SCD recruitment settings. DISCUSSION: Aß+ individuals with SCD in German and Chinese populations showed greater global cognitive decline and could be targeted for interventional trials. HIGHLIGHTS: SCD in amyloid-positive (Aß+) participants predicts a steeper cognitive decline. This finding does not rely on specific SCD or amyloid operationalization. This finding is not specific to SCD patients recruited from memory clinics. This finding is valid in both German and Chinese populations. Aß+ older adults with SCD could be a target population for interventional trials.

Validation and measurement invariance of the Compulsive Exercise Test among Brazilian and American young adults.

PURPOSE: To evaluate compulsive exercise, researchers often rely on the widely used Compulsive Exercise Test (CET). However, the measure has shown unstable factor structure in several validation studies and is not available in Portuguese for use in Brazil. We aimed to describe the translation and cultural adaptation of the CET to Brazilian Portuguese, to test several factor structures among Brazilian and US samples of men and women, to test measurement invariance across countries, and to evaluate its internal consistency. Furthermore, we sought to evaluate convergent validity, correlating the CET with a measure of eating disorder symptoms, and to compare compulsive exercise symptoms between countries. METHODS: Four models of the latent structure of the CET were tested using confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs), three-factor structure with 15 items, three-factor structure with 18 items, four-factor structure with 21 items, and the original five-factor structure with 24 items, in a sample of 1,531 young adults (601 Brazilians and 930 Americans), aged 18-35 years. RESULTS: A series of CFAs demonstrated that the three-factor structure with 15 items showed a better fit to the data. This model demonstrated good convergent validity and internal consistency. Results from the CET multigroup CFA showed evidence for the invariance at the configural, metric, and scalar levels across Brazilians and Americans. Furthermore, significant differences were found between Brazilians and Americans, with Brazilians demonstrating higher scores on the Avoidance and rule-driven behavior and Mood improvement subscales, whereas US participants scored higher on the Weight control exercise subscale. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the three-factor structure with 15 items to be used as a measure of compulsive exercise among Brazilians and Americans, allowing cross-cultural comparisons between these countries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, Cross-sectional, Psychometric study.

The relationship between strong-ties weak-ties rationality and COVID-19 public stigma: A cross-cultural study of Malaysia and Australia.

We investigated the relationship between strong-ties versus weak-ties rationality and public stigma (PS) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also explored the cultural group differences (Malaysians vs. Australians) in this relationship. An online survey was conducted in 2021 with a final sample of 830 eligible Malaysians and 394 eligible Australians. Participants completed the multidimensional strong-ties weak-ties rationality Scale (STWTRS) and an adapted public stigma (PS) scale towards COVID-19 patients. Through multiple regression analysis, we found that the strong-ties rationality, ST-Authoritarian rationality, was positively associated with PS-Blame in both countries. However, the variable Country moderated the relationship between ST-Communal and PS-Rejection, with a negative association found in Malaysia and a positive association in Australia. The findings confirmed the strong-ties weak-ties rationality framework, where ST rationality, especially ST-Authoritarian, could explain the cognitive mechanism behind negative attitudes towards those who pose threat towards the in-group survival. However, ST-Communal could buffer the rejection towards the COVID-19 patients in Malaysia due to its emphasis on social harmony. This study can inform future interventions aimed at mitigating stigma and promoting a more inclusive and supportive society in times of crisis.

Cross-Cultural Validation and the Psychometric Properties of the Korean Version of the Brief Religious Coping Scale.

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Brief Religious Coping Scale (RCOPE) among Korean Protestant Christians to determine its reliability and validity in South Korea considering the unique characteristics of Korean Protestant Christianity. Exploratory Factor Analysis (n = 251) and confirmatory factor analysis (n = 268) identified the original two-factor structure of the positive and negative religious coping subscales. Also, the scale exhibited robust reliability and construct validity. This study affirmed the scale is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring religious coping in Korean Christian adults.

Work and Family Conflicts, Depression, and "Ikigai": A Mediation Analysis in a Cross-cultural Study Between Japanese and Egyptian Civil Workers.

BACKGROUND: Total work-family conflicts (TWFCs) could associate with mental health, and having ikigai (a purpose of life) may mediate this association. METHODS: In a cross-cultural study of 4,792 Japanese Aichi Workers' Cohort study participants and 3,109 Egyptian civil workers, the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) questionnaire measured TWFCs and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) 11-item scale measured depression. We used logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (ORs) of having depression and a high-ikigai across levels of TWFCs (low, moderate, and high), and the PROCESS macro of Hayes to test the mediation effect. RESULTS: The prevalence of high TWFCs, depression, and having a high ikigai were 17.9%, 39.4%, and 70.1% in Japanese women, 10.5%, 26.8%, and 70.1% in Japanese men, 23.7%, 58.2%, and 24.7% in Egyptian women, and 19.1%, 38.9%, and 36.9% in Egyptian men, respectively. Compared with participants with low TWFCs, the multivariable ORs of depression in Japanese women and men with high TWFCs were 4.11 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.99-5.65) and 5.42 (95% CI, 4.18-7.02), and those in Egyptian women and men were 4.43 (95% CI, 3.30-5.95) and 4.79 (95% CI, 3.53-6.48), respectively. The respective ORs of having a high-ikigai were 0.46 (95% CI, 0.33-0.64) and 0.40 (95% CI, 0.31-0.52) in Japanese women and men and were 0.34 (95% CI, 0.24-0.48) and 0.28 (95% CI, 0.20-0.39) in Egyptian women and men. No interaction between TWFCs and country was observed for the associations with depression or ikigai. Ikigai mediated (up to 18%) the associations between the TWFCs and depression, especially in Egyptian civil workers. CONCLUSION: TWFCs were associated with depression, and having low ikigai mediated these associations in Japanese and Egyptian civil workers.

Self-defining memories and past academic stress in Chinese and American college students: a replication and extension of Wang and Singer (2021).

The current study replicated Wang and Singer's ([2021]. A cross-cultural study of self-defining memories in Chinese and American college students. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.622527) finding that Chinese college students from the People's Republic of China (PRC) recalled more self-defining memories (SDMs) focused on high school academic stress than their American counterparts. Seventy-eight American students from a private 4-year liberal arts college and 96 Chinese students from 13 different Chinese universities recalled two SDMs and rated them for affect, recall frequency, and importance. Once again, Chinese college students were more likely than American students to recall academic stress SDMs, but also expressed more redemptive themes in these memories. Overall, Chinese students rated their SDMs as more positive than the Americans, while the American sample tended to recall their negative memories more frequently. Contrasting the SDMs, American students self-reported higher levels of stress about their high school workload and less academic self-confidence. Regressions linked more negative affect in American SDMs to these work load and self-confidence concerns. Chinese students' SDM negative affect was most strongly predicted by perceived academic stress linked to parental and teachers' expectations. The discussion highlights the potential influence of Confucian values in the Chinese students' responses to past academic stress and their internalisation of academic stress memories in their narrative identity.

How National Culture Influences the Speed of COVID-19 Spread: Three Cross-Cultural Studies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected 222 countries and territories around the globe. Notably, the speed of COVID-19 spread varies significantly across countries. This cross-cultural research proposes and empirically examines how national culture influences the speed of COVID-19 spread in three studies. Study 1 examines the effects of Hofstede's national cultural dimensions on the speed of COVID-19 spread in 60 countries. Drawing on the GLOBE study (House et al., 2004), Study 2 investigates how GLOBE cultural dimensions relate to the speed of the pandemic's spread in 55 countries. Study 3 examines the effect of cultural tightness in 31 countries. We find that five national cultural dimensions - power distance, uncertainty avoidance, humane orientation, in-group collectivism, and cultural tightness - are significantly related to the speed of COVID-19 spread in the initial stages, but not in the later stages, of the pandemic. Study 1 shows that the coronavirus spreads faster in countries with small power distance and strong uncertainty avoidance. Study 2 supports these findings and further reveals that countries with low humane orientation and high in-group collectivism report a faster spread of the disease. Lastly, Study 3 shows that COVID-19 spreads slower in countries with high cultural tightness.

Personality traits and perception of parenting: The comparative twin study from Germany and Serbia.

This study examines the aetiology of the relationship between personality traits and perceived parenting in light of cross-cultural differences. The sample consisted of 188 Serbian and 394 German twin pairs. Personality traits were measured using the NEO-personality inventory. A Blocks Environmental Questionnaire (BEQ) was applied to measure two dimensions of perceived parenting: support and organisation. Genetic factors account for 63-79% of the variance for BEQ dimensions in both samples, while around 50-60% of the variance in Big Five personality scores could be attributed to genetic factors. The exception was Neuroticism in the Serbian sample, where the genetic effect was somewhat smaller. The results indicated similar etiological pathways of the relationship between personality traits and perceived parenting, with some cultural differences related to Neuroticism and Extraversion. Negative Neuroticism-Support and positive Extraversion-Organisation environmental relationships were stronger in the Serbian sample. Genetic overlaps were more significant in the German sample, except for the relationship of Organisation with Conscientiousness and Extraversion. This indicates that the relationship between personality and perceived parenting is largely genetically mediated, but that the environmental effect may play an important role in individual adaptation to the family setting.

A comparative study of the work-family conflicts prevalence, their sociodemographic, family, and work attributes, and their relation to the self-reported health status in Japanese and Egyptian civil workers.

BACKGROUND: Cross-cultural studies studying work-family conflicts (W_F_Cs) are scarce. We compared the prevalence of W_F_Cs, factors correlated with them, and their association with self-rated health between Japan and Egypt. METHODS: Among 4862 Japanese and 3111 Egyptian civil workers recruited by a convenience sample in 2018/2019 and reported self-rated health status, we assessed the W_F_Cs by the Midlife Development in the US (MIDUS) and attributed them to sociodemographic, family, and work variables. We also evaluated the W_F_Cs' gender- and country-specific associations with self-rated health by logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: W_F_Cs were more prevalent in Egyptian than in Japanese women (23.7% vs. 18.2%) and men (19.1% vs. 10.5%), while poor self-rated health was more prevalent in Japanese than Egyptians (19.3% and 17.3% vs. 16.9% and 5.5%). Longer working hours, shift work, and overtime work were positively associated with stronger work-to-family conflict (WFC). Whereas being single was inversely associated with stronger family-to-work conflict (FWC). Living with children, fathers, or alone in Japan while education in Egypt was associated with these conflicts. The OR (95% CI) for poor self-reported health among those with the strong, in reference to weak total W_F_Cs, was 4.28 (2.91-6.30) and 6.01 (4.50-8.01) in Japanese women and men and was 2.46 (1.75-3.47) and 3.11 (1.67-5.80) in Egyptian women and men. CONCLUSIONS: Japanese and Egyptian civil workers have different prevalence and correlated factors of W_F_Cs and self-rated health. W_F_Cs were associated in a dose-response pattern with poor-self-rated health of civil workers in both countries.

Is cultured meat a promising consumer alternative? Exploring key factors determining consumer's willingness to try, buy and pay a premium for cultured meat.

Cultured meat is a relatively new product, enjoying consumer appreciation as a more sustainable meat option. The present study builds on a sample from a diverse set of countries and continents, including China, the US, the UK, France, Spain, Netherlands, New Zealand, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic and uses partial least square structural equation modelling. The proposed conceptual model identified key factors driving and inhibiting consumer willingness to try, buy, and pay a price premium for cultured meat. Results relate to the overall sample of 3091 respondents and two sub-sample comparisons based on gender and meat consumption behaviour. Food neophobia, having food allergies, being a locavore, and having concerns about food technology were found to be inhibiting factors towards willingness to try, buy, and pay a price premium for cultured meat. Food curiosity, meat importance, and a consumer's perception of cultured meat as a realistic alternative to regular meat were found to be important drivers that positively impacted consumers' willingness to try, buy and pay more. Best practice recommendations address issues facing marketing managers in food retail and gastronomy.

Influence of HRM on CSR and performance of upscale hotels in developed and developing countries.

The researchers showed their increased interest in linking human resource management (HRM) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in recent studies. HRM is a critical factor in how CSR should be enacted, developed, and understood at a broader level to achieve organizational benefits. Hence, it is evident that current studies are asking for more studies on HRM-CSR nexus, and we argue that such a relationship is necessary and relevant. Probing more in this research stream, the current research investigates the impact of HRM and CSR on sustainable performance. More specifically, this study explores how 3-star, 4-star, and 5-star hotels achieve sustainable performance through HRM and CSR in the hospitality industry of the UK, Italy, and Pakistan. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select the hotels by collecting hotel details from Chambers of the Commerce United Kingdom, Italian Government Statistics, and Pakistan Hotel Associations for the UK, Italy, and Pakistan. Through a highly structured survey questionnaire, the data were collected from 438 UK, 520 Italian, and 354 Pakistani hotels. The results confirm the HRM-CSR-sustainable performance nexus in the hospitality industries of three countries. They show that HRM impact on CSR and sustainable performance is relatively stronger in five-star hotels followed by three-star and then four-star hotels. These results supported the resource-based view theory by providing strong evidence that HRM and CSR are essential resources for achieving sustainable performance and competitive advantage.

Factors related to spiritual well-being in the last days of life in three East Asian countries: An international multicenter prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Some factors associated with spiritual well-being in dying patients have previously been reported. However, there has been no cross-cultural study comparing factors related to spiritual well-being. The current investigation may shed light on this under-investigated area through a comparison of diverse factors. AIM: We aimed to (1) examine factors associated with spiritual well-being in the last days and (2) compare those factors across three East Asian countries. DESIGN: This is an international multicenter prospective cohort study. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Newly admitted inpatients with far advanced cancer in palliative care units in Japan, Korea and Taiwan were enrolled. Each patient was classified into one of two groups based on spiritual well-being score in the last days of life. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the factors related to better spiritual well-being score in each country. RESULTS: A total of 1761 patients treated at 37 palliative care units from January 2017 to September 2018 were analyzed. Seven variables were significant in Japan, three in Korea, and five in Taiwan. "Good death scale [acceptance]," "fatigue" and "expressed wish for hastened death" were unique in Japan. "Visit from a pastoral care worker within 48 h of death" was unique in Korea. "Patient's preferences for place of death," "dyspnea" and "continuous deep sedation" were unique in Taiwan. CONCLUSIONS: This study found novel factors related to spiritual well-being in the last days of life, several of which differed according to country. Recognition of factors associated with spiritual well-being can improve the quality of palliative care.

Alexithymia, Prior Trauma, Alcohol Use, and Sexual Aggression Perpetration: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of a Moderated Mediation Model.

In this study, we examined the relationships between prior trauma, alexithymia, and sexual aggression perpetration among 610 U.S. college students and 107 college students from the Philippines utilizing a cross-sectional retrospective design. We tested a moderated mediation model with alexithymia as the mediator between prior trauma and sexual aggression perpetration, and alcohol use as a moderator of the alexithymia-sexual aggression link. Moreover, given that cultural norms may influence these relationships, we also examined the structural invariance of the proposed moderated mediation model. Path analyses and multiple group analysis were used to examine the moderated mediation model, and examine model differences between samples. We did not find evidence for alexithymia as a mediator, but there was a significant interaction between alcohol use severity and alexithymia on sexual aggression perpetration across both samples. Alexithymia is a key variable in understanding the alcohol use-sexual aggression perpetration relationship. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are also discussed.

Cross-cultural comparison of symptom networks in late-life major depressive disorder: Yoruba Africans and the Spanish Population.

BACKGROUND: The concept of European psychologisation of depression versus somatisation in non-European populations has been the basis of several studies of cultural psychopathology in the general population. Little is currently known about cross-cultural differences and similarities in late-life depression symptom reporting. We cross-culturally compared symptom reporting in the context of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) among community-dwelling older adults from Spain and Nigeria. METHODS: We relied on data from two household multistage probability samples comprising 3,715 persons aged 65 years or older in the Spanish and Nigerian populations. All participants underwent assessments for MDD using the World Mental Health Survey version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Cross-cultural comparison of broad somatic and psychological categories as well as relationship and influence of individual symptoms were analysed using the Symptom Network Analysis approach. RESULTS: Current MDD was diagnosed in 232 and 195 older persons from Spain and Nigeria, respectively. The symptom network of the two samples were invariant in terms of global strength, S(GSPAIN , GNIGERIA ) = 7.56, P = .06, with psychological and somatic symptoms demonstrating centrality in both countries. However, country-specific relationships and influence of individual symptoms were found in the network structure of both samples, M(GSPAIN , GNIGERIA ) = 2.95, P < .01. CONCLUSION: Broad somatic and psychological symptoms categories contributed to the structural network of older Africans and their peers from the Spanish population. Variations in the relationship and influence of individual symptoms suggests that the functional and "communicative" role of individual symptoms may be differentiated by context specific imperatives. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:-, 2020.

Couple Adjustment and Differentiation of Self in the United States, Italy, and Spain: A Cross-Cultural Study.

This study comprises a first attempt to explore a cross-cultural application of Bowen family systems theory and examines the relationship between differentiation of self and couple adjustment using measurement invariance. A sample of 2,141 individuals (n = 915 from the United States; n = 635 from Italy; n = 591 from Spain) completed measures of differentiation of self (DSI-R; Skowron & Schmitt, J Marital Fam Ther, 29, 2003, 209) and couple adjustment (DAS; Spanier, J Marriage Fam, 38, 1976, 15). Results showed evidence of partial measurement equivalence for the DSI-R across the three samples. Additionally, results from latent regression showed that less emotional cutoff predicted greater couple adjustment in the United States, Spain, and Italy, whereas greater emotional reactivity predicted poorer couple adjustment only in the more collectivistic cultures, Spain and Italy. Our findings are consistent with prior empirical studies, which suggest that emotional cutoff is a strong predictor of relationship adjustment. The use of measurement invariance provides a foundation for future studies to continue employing rigorous statistical methods when examining constructs across different cultures. The findings highlight culture-specific similarities and differences in differentiation that may benefit practitioners by informing psychotherapy with individuals, couples, or families from diverse populations.

Este estudio constituye un primer intento de explorar la aplicabilidad intercultural de la teoría de sistemas familiares de Bowen y de analizar la relación entre la diferenciación del self y el ajuste de la pareja utilizando un análisis de invariancia. Una muestra de 2.141 personas (n = 915 de Estados Unidos; n = 635 de Italia; n = 591 de España), completaron medidas de diferenciación del self (DSI-R; Skowron & Schmitt, 2003) y de ajuste diádico (DAS; Spanier, 1976). Los resultados aportan pruebas de equivalencia parcial de las medidas del DSI-R entre las tres muestras. Además, los resultados de la regresión latente indicaron que un menor corte emocional predijo mayor ajuste de la pareja en Estados Unidos, España e Italia, mientras que una mayor reactividad emocional predijo un menor ajuste de la pareja solo en las culturas más colectivistas: España e Italia. Nuestros resultados concuerdan con estudios empíricos anteriores, que sugieren que el corte emocional es un fuerte predictor del ajuste relacional. El uso del análisis de invariancia ofrece una base para que futuros estudios sigan utilizando métodos estadísticos rigurosos cuando se examinan constructos entre culturas diferentes. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto diferencias y similitudes específicas en la diferenciación entre las culturas estudiadas, que pueden ayudar a los profesionales orientando la psicoterapia de personas, parejas o familias de poblaciones diversas.

Students' achievement motivation in Finnish and Chinese higher education and its relation to perceived teaching-learning environments.

This cross-cultural study of Finnish and Chinese students set out to compare the levels of achievement motivation (AM) in order to investigate whether the differences in them might be explained by the different cultural response styles and whether these response styles could be controlled for with a method which includes response style variables as covariates in ANCOVA. This study also scrutinizes relationships between perceived teaching-learning environments (TLE) and AM within each cultural group. The survey sample consisted of 3,035 Finnish and 2,309 mainland Chinese university students. Finnish students were found to rate the level of AM markedly higher than do Chinese students. It was determined that the method applied for response style controlling is not suitable for cross-cultural studies, even though it is recommended for this use. A modification of the method, which is based on robust statistical tools, was found not to change this conclusion, but it can nevertheless be used to obtain useful information about the effects of response style differences. The results also show that similar relationships between AM and TLE could be identified in the data of both groups. However, for the Finnish group AM is related to perceived suitable workload, whereas for the Chinese group it is related to teacher encouragement.

Postnatal depression, maternal-infant bonding and social support: a cross-cultural comparison of Nigerian and British mothers.

Objectives: The high prevalence of Post-Natal Depression (PND) in low and lower-middle income countries of Africa raises questions about the functionality of the abundant informal support accessed in the enmeshed family structure. This study examined the interaction between social support, parity and culture in the development of PND and maternal-infant bonding (MIB) among Nigerian, British and Nigerian Immigrant mothers in the UK.Methods: Participants (N = 124) were recruited from the UK and Nigeria via local support groups for mothers, websites offering motherhood-related content and social media. Questionnaires including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire and Norbeck's Social Support Questionnaire were uploaded onto SurveyMonkey®.Results: Findings revealed significant cultural differences in PND and social support. Multiple regression analyses revealed that PND, social support and culture could predict MIB, with PND being the only significant independent predictor.Conclusions: Our findings highlight the importance that cultural factors play in the development of PND and the establishment of MIB in the context of culturally attuned healthcare services.

Treatments used for obsessive-compulsive disorder-An international perspective.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to characterise international trends in the use of psychotropic medication, psychological therapies, and novel therapies used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHODS: Researchers in the field of OCD were invited to contribute summary statistics on the characteristics of their samples. Consistency of summary statistics across countries was evaluated. RESULTS: The study surveyed 19 expert centres from 15 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States) providing a total sample of 7,340 participants. Fluoxetine (n = 972; 13.2%) and fluvoxamine (n = 913; 12.4%) were the most commonly used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications. Risperidone (n = 428; 7.3%) and aripiprazole (n = 415; 7.1%) were the most commonly used antipsychotic agents. Neurostimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, deep brain stimulation, gamma knife surgery, and psychosurgery were used in less than 1% of the sample. There was significant variation in the use and accessibility of exposure and response prevention for OCD. CONCLUSIONS: The variation between countries in treatments used for OCD needs further evaluation. Exposure and response prevention is not used as frequently as guidelines suggest and appears difficult to access in most countries. Updated treatment guidelines are recommended.