Effectiveness of staff training programs for behavioral problems among older people with dementia

This paper reviewed studies on staff training programs to address the behavioral problems associated with dementia among older people in residential care. The papers were classified according to whether or not the studies included a control group in the research design. The results of the review demonstrate that there has been a wide range of psychosocial and educational interventions to reduce behavioral problems among older people with dementia, with inconsistent results being obtained. However, many of these studies suffer from problems in their research design that make it difficult to evaluate their effectiveness. Problems in conducting research in the nursing home setting are highlighted, and suggestions for future research in this area are discussed.

The all for Australia league in New South Wales : a study in political entrepreneurship and hegemony

In 1931, the All for Australia League and other 'citizens movements' mounted a major challenge to the established conservative parties. Traditional views of the League saw it as a reflection of economic group interests, whether of the business establishment or dissident capitalists such as manufactures. More recent scholarship has stressed middle-class concerns with 'sound finance' as the inspiration of the League. This paper instead situates the League in the historical context of centre party projects in New South Wales, and of progressivism, in particular industrial psychology. The economic crisis and the rightward shift of the nationalists enabled a group of political entrepreneurs to transform the League from a front group for business into a populist movement. However, the shift of mainstream conservatism back to the political centre fatally undercut the League's support base.

Evolutionary explanations in the social and behavioral sciences : introduction and overview

Despite a growing acceptance of the value of evolutionary approaches to understanding the natural world there has been relatively little attention paid to evolutionary ideas in sociology, socio-cultural anthropology, and — of particular relevance for this special issue — criminology and forensic/correctional psychology. The aim of this paper is to provide an introductory overview of evolutionary approaches to human behavior with a focus on illuminating the role they can play in enriching our understanding of criminal and antisocial behavior. We begin with an overview of the main approaches to applying evolutionary theory to human behavior and we suggest that a pluralistic perspective is most likely to advance conceptual and empirical work in the field. We then turn to a brief discussion of some common, but misguided criticisms of this approach. Some of the more substantive conceptual and methodological issues that evolutionary approaches need to address are then explored. Finally, we engage with the broader issues that relate to the role of evolutionary explanations in the social and behavioral sciences.

Evolutionary psychology and the rehabilitation of offenders : constraints and consequences

The mainstream view in criminology and correctional psychology is that evolutionary perspectives have little to offer researchers or practitioners and may in fact lead to overly reductionist and crude responses to the complex issue of crime and its consequences. However, in our view all the major evolutionary approaches to the explanation of human behavior have something of value to contribute, with niche construction providing a particularly useful lens upon crime and its management. In this paper we analyze the concept of rehabilitation and describe the key features of effective rehabilitation. We argue that niche construction is responsive to the cognitive versatility and behavioral flexibility of human beings and can also accommodate the important role of social and cultural scaffolding in the rehabilitation process.

Corporate entrepreneurship and innovation part 2 : a role- and process-based approach

Purpose – To extend the discussion held in part 1, and develop a two-tier fifth-generation model of corporate entrepreneurship and innovation. Design/methodology/approach – The components that have been synthesized from a review of the literature in Part 1 are extended using evidence from the literature. These components are used to construct a two-tier model of corporate entrepreneurship and innovation; a macro model which presents the high-level environmental drivers of innovation and a micro model that discusses the contextual factors that underpin the corporate entrepreneurship and innovation process. Findings – From the analysis conducted in part 1 it is evident that there is a strong relationship between the role of the corporate entrepreneur and the innovation process. It is suggested that by separating the corporate entrepreneur from the innovation process previous models have been overly reductionist in their construction, and their utility has, as a consequence, been severely constrained. The study therefore combines the role and activities of the entrepreneur with the innovation process into a unified framework. In doing so the paper develops a two-tier fifth-generation model of corporate entrepreneurship and innovation. The final sections of the paper present the model's implications for management and suggestions for further research. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified gap in the literature, namely the development of a new holistic model of corporate entrepreneurship and innovation, which illustrates the environmental and contextual relationships between the corporate entrepreneur and the innovation process.

Does computerized cognitive behavioral therapy help people with inflammatory bowel disease? A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Cognitive behavioral therapy may be useful for improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of at least some patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially those with psychiatric comorbidities. However, cognitive behavioral therapy can be difficult to access. These difficulties can be overcome by computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (CCBT). This is a randomized controlled trial of a self-administered CCBT intervention for patients with IBD focused on improving HRQOL. It is hypothesized that CCBT completers will have an improved HRQOL relative to people not allocated to CCBT.

METHODS: Patients with IBD were randomly allocated to CCBT (n = 113) versus treatment as usual (n = 86). The IBD Questionnaire at 12 weeks after baseline was the primary outcome, while generic HRQOL, anxiety, depression, coping strategies, perceived stress, and IBD symptoms were secondary outcomes. Outcomes were also measured at 6 months after baseline. Predictors of dropout were also determined.

RESULTS: Twenty-nine CCBT participants (25.7%) completed the CCBT. The IBD Questionnaire was significantly increased at 12 weeks in CCBT completers compared with treatment-as-usual patients (F = 6.38, P = 0.01). Short Form-12 mental score (F = 5.00, P = 0.03) was also significantly better in CCBT compared with treatment-as-usual patients at 12 weeks. These outcomes were not maintained at 6 months. The predictors of dropout were baseline depression, biological use, lower IBD Questionnaire scores, and not having steroids.

CONCLUSIONS: Improvements at 12 weeks after baseline were not maintained at 6 months. Future research should aim to improve adherence rates. Moreover, CCBT may not work for patients with IBD with comorbid depression.