Measuring attitudes, behaviours, and influences in inner city victims of interpersonal violence (VIVs) - a Swiss emergency room pilot study

Background Switzerland is confronted with the problem of interpersonal violence. Violence is in the increase and the potential for aggression seems to be rising. Observations by hospitals discern an appalling increase of the severity of the injuries. The aim of this study is to collect accurate information about the social environment, the motivation and possible reasons for violence. We also intend to investigate whether sociocultural, or ethnic differences among male victims exist. Materials and methods For the first time in Switzerland, this survey employed a validated questionnaire from the division of violence prevention, Atlanta, Georgia. The first part of the questionnaire addressed social and demographic factors which could influence the risk of violence: age, gender, duration of stay in Switzerland, nationality and educational level. Beside these social structural factors, the questionnaire included questions on experience of violent offences in the past, information about the most recent violent offence and intra and interpersonal facts. The questionnaire itself consists of 27 questions, translated into German and French. In a pilot study, the questionnaire was checked with adolescents for feasibility and comprehensibility. Results 69 male VIVs were interviewed at two hospitals in the Canton of Bern. Most of the adolescents emphasised that weapons were not used during their confrontations. It is astonishing that all of the young men considered themselves to be victims. Most of the brawls were incited after an exchange of verbal abuse and provocations with unfamiliar individuals. The rivals could neither be classified with the help of ethnic categories nor identifiable groups of the youth scenes. The incidents took place in scenes, where violence was more likely to happen. Interestingly and contrary to a general perception the offenders are well integrated into sport and leisure clubs. A further surprising result of our research is that the attitude towards religion differs between young men with experience of violence and non-violent men. Discussion Youth violence is a health issue, which concerns us globally. The human and economic toll of violence on victims and offenders, their families, and on society in general is high. The economic costs associated with violence-related illness and disability is estimated to be millions of Swiss francs each year. Physicians and psychologists are compelled to identify the factors, which cause young people to be violent, to find out which interventions prove to be successful, and to design effective prevention programs. The identification of effective programs depends on the availability of reliable and valid measures to assess changes in violence-related attitudes. In our efforts to create healthier communities, we need to investigate; document and do research on the causes and circumstances of youth violence.

Association of fatigue and psychological distress with quality of life in patients with a previous venous thromboembolic event

Health-related quality of life (QoL) has been associated with several social and medical conditions in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). To the best of our knowledge, there is no study investigating the relationship of QoL with psychological variables in this patient population. We assumed as a hypothesis an association between heightened levels of fatigue and psychological distress, as well as decreased QoL in patients with an objectively diagnosed venous thromboembolic event. Study participants were 205 consecutively enrolled out-patients (47.4 years, 54.6% men) with DVT and/or PE. Approximately 10 days before blood collection for thrombophilia work-up, QoL, fatigue, and psychological distress were assessed using the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory Short Form (MFSI-SF) as well as the Hospitality Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS). After controlling for demographic and medical factors, fatigue (p < 0.01) but not psychological distress (p>0.05) was negatively associated with physical QoL, explaining 11.0% of the variance. Fatigue (p < 0.001) and psychological distress (p < 0.001) were significant predictors of mental QoL, explaining an additional 36.2% and 3.6% of the variance. Further analyses revealed that all subscales of the HADS (e.g. anxiety and depression) and of the MFSI-SF (e.g. general fatigue, physical fatigue, emotional fatigue, mental fatigue and vigor) were significant predictors of mental QoL. MFSI-SF subscales also predicted physical QoL. The findings suggest that fatigue and psychological distress substantially predict QoL in patients with a previous venous thromboembolic event above and beyond demographic factors.

Secondary Forests and Local Livelihoods along a Gradient of Accessibility: A Case Study in Northern Laos

Rural livelihoods in developing countries can be enhanced by improving access to natural resources, services, and markets. In remote rural areas of the humid or semihumid tropics, forests represent an important resource for livelihoods. In countries like Laos, where most primary forest has been converted to secondary forest, and where an intricate and interlinked mosaic of forest and farmland prevails, people depend on secondary forests as a prime source of goods and services. The linkages between local livelihoods and secondary forest resources are subject to changes caused by improving accessibility. This article studies how accessibility affects the condition of forests and local livelihoods by comparing three villages along a gradient of accessibility in Phonxay district, Luang Prabang province, northern Laos. The results of this research show that accessibility strengthens the influence of the government and of markets, and that local livelihoods improve with increasing accessibility, while forest condition deteriorates.