我国部分地区中学生的学校回避倾向研究

The aim of this research is to explore the relationships between school avoidance tendency and school stressors, stress response, social support, coping style of secondary school students. Three studies were carried out. School avoidance tendency scale, mental health scale, coping style scale of secondary school students from Japan were revised in the first research. In the second research, the difference in gender, cities, grades of five variables were discussed. In the third research, the relationships of five variables were discussed. A total of 883 students from grade one of middle school to grade 3 of high school in Beijing, Taiyuan and Wulanchabu, completed three scales. Analysis showed that: 1. The main effects of city, gender, and grade were present significantly on School avoidance tendency, and the inter-effects were not significant. The differences were significant between three grades of middle schools, and not significant between three grades of high schools. The high school students were significant than middle school students on school avoidance tendency. 2. The main effect of city was not significant, but gender, and grade were present significantly on stressor, and the inter-effects were not significant. The most stressor was study one, than the relationship stressor from teachers. The relationship stressor from friends was at least. 3. The main effects of city and grade were present significantly on stress responses, but the main effect of gender was not significant, and the inter-effect was not significant. The most stress response was the physical response. 4. The main effects of city and gender, the inter-effect were not present significantly on social supports. The main effect of grade was present significantly. The most social support was from mother, than from friends, father, and the teachers. 5. The differences between cites on coping styles were not significant. Positive coping style was used mostly, than the style of help requirement, cognitive coping style. 6. Stressor and stress responses had significant positive predictive role on school avoidance tendency. Social supports had negative predictive role. Social supports had not moderator role between stressor, stress responses and schools avoidance tendency. Stress responses had a part of mediator between stressor and school avoidance tendency. 7. In the coping styles, positive coping style and help requirement style had negative predictive role, but cognitive coping style had positive predictive role on school avoidance tendency. Coping styles had negative predictive role. Coping styles had not moderator role between stressor, stress responses and school avoidance tendency.

中老年危机热线来电者的应激源与自杀危险性

Objective: Psychosocial crisis and psychiatric disorders are two stressors for suicide action. This study will explore the differences on demographic characteristics, severity of depression, and suicidality of middle-aged and elder crisis line callers under the influences of psychosocial crisis or psychiatric disorders or two simultaneously-mixed stressors, in order to develop effective intervention strategies for crisis line. Methods: Analysis data of 1,092 cases selected from national crisis line callers aged 45 and over who were assessed with “Suicide risk assessment” during the period from December, 2002 to December, 2008. The sample were divided into three groups of psychosocial crisis, mental health problems, and mixed-stressors of three types of general callers (48.2%, 32.3%, 19.5%), callers with current suicide ideation (43.7%, 33.0%, 23.3%) and callers attempted suicide 2 weeks prior to the call (33.6%, 42.3%, 24.1%) respectively according to the operators’ judgments of the callers’ claimed difficult situations and classification system of crisis line database. X2 test and Tukey-type and Multinomial Logistic Regression multiple comparison methods are applied to analysis the differences of the three groups. Results: In agreement with previous studies, more females (71.3%, X2=13.45, P<0.001), especially females influenced by relationship stressors (76.8%, X2=25.12, P<0.001) made the call for crisis. Among general callers, the check-out rates of Major Depression Episode of mixed-stressor callers (78.5%, P<0.001) and problem callers (68.7%, P<0.05) were significantly higher than that of crisis callers (57.1%). The check-out rates of suicide ideation of mixed-stressor callers (71.4%) were significantly higher than that in crisis callers (53.8%, P<0.001) and problem callers (60.9%, P<0.05). The check-out rates of prior suicide attempts of mixed-stressor (16.6%, P<0.05) and problem callers (18.5%, P<0.01) were significantly higher than that of crisis callers (9.8%). More than half of the mixed-stressor callers (51.8%) reported over 50% degree of hopelessness, which was significantly higher than that of crisis callers (35.6%, P<0.01) and problem callers (38.2%, P<0.05). Fewer crisis callers sought medical help than problem and mixed-stressor callers among three types of callers (X2=241.35, 146.56, 50.87; P<0.001). Compare to non-compound crisis callers, the proportion of minor, severe depression and prior depression diagnosis (14.0% vs. 17.4%; 54.9% vs. 65.2%; 0 vs. 2.2%; X2=14.35，P<0.01), suicide ideation (51.1% vs. 64.0%, P<0.05) and prior suicide attempts (8.4% vs. 15.0%, P<0.05) in compound crisis callers were significantly higher. There were more compound crisis callers with over 50% hopelessness (51.9% vs. 31.0%，X2=11.96，P<0.01). Conclusion: As predicted, among middle-aged and elderly participants, mixed-stressor and compound crisis callers were higher in degree of severity of depression and suicidality. Intervention strategies should be developed addressing to specific stressor or stressors. The promotions of crisis callers’ medical help seeking behavior need to be emphasized.

本科实习男护生压力源、应对方式与心理健康关系的研究

Objectives:To investigate stressor and stress level,coping styles and mental health of male nursing undergraduates in clinical practice;To find out the factors that influence mental health of male nursing undergraduates in clinical practice and to put forward some suggestions to improve the mental health status of male nursing undergraduates. Methods: After doing many literaturere search both at home and abroad,I gather further consulting many nursing undergraduates in clinical practice,Finally I formulate the “Nursing Student's Clinical Stressor Scale”.80 male nursing ungraduates from Bengbu Medical Colledge were recruited. While 140 female nursing ungraduates who were in clinical practice in the same period of time were taken as a comparative group.The following questionnaire package including a background questionnair,Nursing Student's Clinical Stressor Scale NSCSS,Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire SCSQ,The Symptom Checklist 90 SCL-90 were distributed and collected together in the 14th week during the clinical practice.Of the 220 questionnaires were distributed and 198 were found to valid,the valid callback rate was 92%.The endudeed 77 were male and 121 were female .Statistices analysis was performed by SPSS13.0 and AMOS5.0 software. Results： 1.25% of male nursing undergraduates had a higher level of stress, mainly from employment,major,working nature,working contents and so on.Compared with female nursing undergraduates,male nursing undergraduates underwent a higher pressure in the employment and the profession aspect,but lower in their insufficient knowledge and ability.There was a significant negative correlation between the male undergraduates’ stress level and their satisfaction degree to clinical nursing teaching and the professional title of the clinical teachers,but it was positively correlated with their family monthly income. Stress level of female nursing undergraduates positively related with the number of children in their families,but negatively correlated with their family monthly income; 2.Male nursing undergraduates' coping style both positive and negative coping styles were adopted by male nursing undergraduates but mean at while positive coping styles.The positive coping styles adopted by male nursing undergraduates were significantly lower than that adopted by female nursing undergraduates; 3.The scores of depression,interpersonal sensitivity and anxiety in male nursing undergraduates were significantly higher than those of the nationwide youths norm.Alist all subscales scores of male nursing group were more than those of female nursing undergraduates except for fear subscale. Mental health of male nursing undergraduates was inversly correlated with the professional title of the clinical teachers and satisfaction of their majors; 4.Among male nursing undergraduates,the total score of stress and most subscale(except working nature and working contents,employment)scores of stress were positively correlated with the negative coping styles.The scores of stress level was positively correlated with the scores of SCL-90,Negative coping styles was positively correlated with the scores of SCL-90 among male nursing undergraduates,while positive coping styles were inversly correlated with most subscales(except phobic,paranoia,psychoticism)scores of SCL-90. Conclusions： 1.25% male nursing undergraduates have a higher level of stress,which is from employment, profession,working nature and working contents,financial difficulties and so on.The coping styles adopted by male nursing undergraduates were mainly positive coping styles.The mental health of male nursing undergraduates were lower; 2.Different genders have significant differences between stressors, coping style and mental health; 3.Stress,coping style,satisfaction degree to clinical nursing teaching and the professional title of the clinical teachers are predietors of mental health among male nursing undergraduates.

细胞因子对大鼠抑郁样行为的影响

Depression is one of the most important psychological diseases to threaten human health. “Cytokine theory of depression” suggests that cytokines may play an important role in depression, which provided a new perspective in the study the mechanism and the therapy of depressive symptoms. This view is supported by various findings. Administration of pro-inflammatory cytokine or lipoposaccharide in animal induces depressive-like behavior such as anhedonia and low locomotion, which is very similar to the behavioral symptoms of depression in humans. However, the earlier researches may only pay attention to the short-time behavior effects; the effects of long-time behavior changes have not been clearly reported. In addition, there are few reports about the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokine or anti-inflammatory cytokine on the depressive-like behavior induced by chronic stressors. To further understand the role of cytokines in depression, the purpose of the present study is to investigate the dose and time effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by lipoposaccharide on depressive-like behavior, sensitization effect of pro-inflammatory and blockage effect of anti-inflammatory on depressive-like behavior induced by chronic cold swimming stress. The behavioral observation was carried out using sacharin preference test, open field test and elevated-plus maze. The results indicated that: 1) The activated immunity induced by LPS i.p administration could induce significant depressive-like behavior, but these behaviors had no long-term effect; 2)The depressive-like behaviors induced by stress could be elicited earlier and kept longer by the activated immunity induced by LPS ip ; 4) The chronic activated immunity induced by LPS icv administration could provoke significant depressive-like behavior, and the depressive-like behaviors induced by stress could be enhanced by icv LPS, LPS and stress had certain interact-sensitization effect on depressive-like behavior； 5) Anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 icv reversed the depressive-like behaviors induced by the stress. In conclusion, cytokines play an important role in the depressive-like behavior. Both peripheral and central administration of LPS induced a certain depressive-like behavior and enhanced stress-induced depressive behavior. The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 icv could reverse the depressive-like behaviors induced by the stress. Keywords: lipoposaccharide, depressive-like behavior, anhedonia, locomotion, chronic cold swimming stress

成年女儿照料老年父母的心理体验及关系质量作用的研究

Previous researches about family caregiving revealed that caregiving has both negative and positive effects on caregivers’ well-being. Based on Lawton’s two-factor model, this study aims at examining how caring for old parents would affect adult daughters’ psychological well-being. According to Lawton, objective stressors as caregiving would arouse two different kinds of caregivers’ subjective appraisal, i.e., negative appraisal and positive appraisal, which in turn correlate with the negative and positive dimensions of caregivers’ psychological well-being, respectively. There were two main purposes of this study: a) to verify both the negative and positive paths in the two-factor model and their relatively independence; and b) to examine the effects of relationship quality between caregiver and care-recipient on those paths. The results are as follows: 1) Caregiving stressors have significant positive predictive effect on caregivers’ negative appraisal, but have no direct effect on caregivers’ positive appraisal. 2) Caregivers’ negative appraisal has significant positive predictive effect on their negative emotional experience, while caregivers’ positive appraisal has significant positive predictive effect on their positive emotional experience. 3) Certain dimensions of relationship quality, including the Appreciation and General Appraisal, have significant negative predictive effect on caregivers’ negative appraisal, and have significant positive predictive effect on caregivers’ positive appraisal. 4) The Appreciation dimension of relationship quality moderates the path from caregiving demands to caregivers’ burden; and the General Appraisal of relationship quality moderates the path from caregivers’ positive appraisal to life satisfaction. Based on the above results, the researcher concluded that a) both the negative path and positive path exist in caregiving process, and they are relatively independent from each other; and b) relationship quality does moderate certain paths in the model. Meanwhile, the main effect of relationship quality on caregivers’ experience is also significant and more remarkable. This study attempts to explain these results in terms of coping resources. Both relationship quality and many other factors might be explained as resources that caregivers utilize to cope with stress of caregiving. With more resources, caregivers tend to appraise more positively, and less negatively, and vice versa. However, the resources which might affect caregivers’ positive appraisal, as well as the ways they work, may be different from that affect caregivers’ negative appraisal.

员工的组织支持感和工作压力对工作结果变量的作用——中国民航管制员研究

Both perceived organizational support and job stresses have impact on employees’ work outcomes. Great progresses have been made in past researches. However, there are many disputes about the impact of perceived organizational support (POS) on job performance (especially, safety performance), the impact of job stresses on job performance (especially, safety performance) and job attitudes, as well as the interaction of subordinates’ POS and job stresses, and the impact of supervisor on subordinates’ POS et al.. Thus, the aim of the study is to explore the impact of supervisors’ POS, leader-member exchange(LMX) on subordinates’ POS, the direct impact of subordinates’ POS and job stressors from task and rewards on work attitudes(job satisfaction, turnover intention) and safety behaviors(safety compliance and safety participation), and the interaction of subordinates’ POS and job stresses. Analyses are based on the data from interviewing of 20 staff, posts of a Chinese civil aviation Bulletin Board System (BBS) and surveys of 216 subordinates and 42 supervisors from two Chinese civil aviation Air traffic control centers (ATC). The major findings are listed as follows: Firstly, the exchange relationship between supervisors and members has impact on subordinates’ POS by the fully mediating role of subordinates’ perceived supervisor support (PSS). But supervisors’ POS have no impact on subordinates’ POS. Secondly, subordinates’ POS has a direct and positive impact on their job satisfaction and safety behaviors, and a negative impact on turnover intention. Specifically, the higher the employees’ perceived organizational support, the higher job satisfaction and safety behaviors, as well as the lower turnover intention they have. Moreover, POS has stronger relationship with safety participation behaviors than that of safety compliance behaviors. Thirdly, task-related stressor has no significant impact on job satisfaction, turnover intention and safety behaviors. And compensation-related stressor has significant and positive impact on turnover intention and safety behaviors, which means that with the compensation-related stress increases, turnover intention increases, safety behaviors including safety compliance and safety participation also increases. Fourthly, POS and task-related stressor, POS and compensation-related stressor have significant interaction, respectively. Specifically, POS moderates the relationship between task-related stressor and job satisfaction, and between task-related stressor and turnover intention. Moreover, POS also moderates the relationship between compensation-related stressor and safety compliance behaviors.

应激源，缓冲因素及其关系——中美大学生应激的跨文化研究

Questionnaire of Stressors, which was constructed earlier, and Resilience Factor Scale were applied on 252 Chinese University students and 207 American University students. Reliability and validity tests were applied on the data. Results are as following: 1. Cronbach α coefficient of both scales were tested and showed good results. Construction validity of them was also tested by applying Factor Analysis on the data. The results are good. 2. Stressors of University students consist of three factors, named Survival Anxiety, Social Anxiety, and Role Stress. Resilience Factors consist of Social Support and Self-Efficacy. They affected each other. Significant correlation was found among those five factors. 3. Significant differences were found between Chinese sample and American sample in the scores of most items of the two scales.

情绪应激对大鼠体液免疫功能的影响及其机制

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of emotional stress on humoral immunoactivity and to examine whether the sympathetic nervous system was involved in the immunomodulation. In the present study, two types of emotional stressors were used. One was footshock apparatus used to cause the rats which were given footshock before, emotional stressed; the other was an empty water bottle used to cause the rats which were trained to drink water at two set times each day, emotional stressed. The effect of emotional stress on the primary immune function (anti-ovallum antibody level and spleen index), the endocrine response (corticosterone level, epinephrine and norepinephrine level), the behavioral changes (freezing, defecation, grooming and attacking behavior) were investigated. The main results were: 1. Two types of emotional stress significantly increased the level of plasma corticosterone, norepinephrine and epinephrine, as well as freezing, defecation and attacking behavior. 2. Two types of emotional stress significantly decreased the level of anti-ovallum antibody. A negative correlation between catecholamine level (epinephrine and norepinephrine) and antibody level or spleen index was found. 3. β-adrenergic receptor antagonist propranolol could reverse the immunomodulation induced by emotional stress. 4. After two types of emotional stress, c-fos expression was observed in the following brain areas or nucleus; arcuate nucleus, anterior commissure nucleus, diffuse part of dorsalmedial nucleus hypothalamus, lateral dorsal nucleus thalamus, medial nucleus amygdala, solitary nucleus, frontal cortex and cingulum. These brain areas and nucleus are involved in the central modulation of the autonomic nervous system. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that emotional stress can suppress humoral immunity and the activation of the sympathetic nervous system is involved in the humoral immunomodulation induced by emotional stress.

对癌症生存者应对资源的研究

A survey study of cancer survivors was conducted to explore the coping resources, which buffers the life of cancer survivors against stressful situation. Participants reported coping strategies, positive affect and negative affect, personality, perceived social support, fighting spirit and helpless/hopeless as well as quality of life through a set of self-assessment questionnaire. The results indicated that the frequency of coping strategies used by cancer survivors from high to low were: growing, problem solving, seeking support,self-controlling, wishful thinking, and distancing. The correlational analysis indicated that among the six sets of coping strategies, growing was positively correlated most strongly with most of the dimensions in quality of life as well as positive affect. Among the five personality, Neuroticism was positively correlated most strongly with helpless/hopeless and negative affect; and was negatively correlated most strongly with fighting spirit and positive affect. Extraversion was positively correlated most strongly with positive affect and negatively correlated most strongly with helpless/hopeless; Agreeableness was negatively correlated most strongly with negative affect; Conscientiousness was positively correlated most strongly with fighting spirit. Subjects with higher score in quality of life reported higher frequency of coping strategies in growing and problem solving and less in wishful thinking. They also reported higher scores in Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness as well as lower scores in Neuroticism. The regression analysis displayed that not negative affect but positive affect entered the regression model when all the psychological and social variables in the study were accounted for. Taken together, these data suggested that, growing was the most effective coping strategy among the six sets of strategies for cancer survivors to improve quality of life, to maintain positive affect and to enhance fighting spirit. Neuroticism was vulnerable to resist stressors; Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness were stress-resisted factors. Positive affect may has more adaptational significance than negative affect during chronic stress. These data also implicated that positive affect should be paid more attention to in coping research.

中学生日常烦恼和缓冲因素的研究

This study is a research on the stress of the secondary school students. The whole work included the construction of the Daily Hassle Scale of the Secondary School Students and the research on the mediate factors of the stressors. Six kinds of the daily hassle were found by the factor analysis: problem with academic performance, problem with school life, problem with teachers, problem with family, problem with heterosexual relation, problem with self-esteem. The reliability and validity of the scale is high. By the regression analysis of the SCL-90 score, we found that the factors which influence the physical and mental health of the secondary school students are the personal character(neuroticism, locus of control), daily hassle (problem with academic performance, problem with heterosexual relation) and age.

Influence of different neuroprotective drugs on dopamine neurotoxicity induced by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and MPTP in mice

Introduction: Parkinson‟s disease (PD) is characterized by a chronic progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons that is associated with chronic neuroinflammation. Current treatments for PD can significantly improve symptoms but do not cure the disease or slow its progression. An approach used in existing therapies is based on the inhibition of monoamine oxidase (MAO), enzyme involved in the metabolic degradation of dopamine. Although, preclinical studies showed that MAO-B inhibitors have neuroprotective activity in cellular and animal models of PD, clinical trials did not completely confirm this result. Therefore a large number of new molecules, with more potent MAO-B inhibitory activity and a possible neuroprotective effect, have been proposed to replace the pre-existing MAO-B inhibitors. The profile of the recent MAO inhibitor, SZV558, appears to be particularly interesting because of its pharmacodynamic, favorable for disease-modifying properties and its irreversible MAO-B enzyme bind. The enhancement of adult neurogenesis could be of great clinical interest in the management of neurodegenerative disorders. In line with this, the metformin, a well-known antidiabetic drug, has recently been proposed to promote neurogenesis and to have a neuroprotective effect on the neurodegenerative processes induced by the dopaminergic neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in a mice PD model. Although, PD has multiple origins, one hypothesis is that amphetamine-related drugs may be part of the wide array of factors leading to the dopaminergic neuron degeneration that causes the disease. These hypothesis are supported by different results that showed a persistent, long-term dopaminergic toxicity induced by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in mice. Moreover, the MDMA, altering the dopaminergic transmission, may affect neurogenesis and synaptogenesis. On these basis, considering that the young brain is particularly sensitive to drug-induced neurotoxicity, the consumption of MDMA during the adolescence might increase the vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons. However, the use of amphetamine-related drugs by adolescent and young people is often combined with caffeinated energy drinks in order to amplify their stimulant actions. Although caffeine use is safe, the combined treatment of caffeine and MDMA increases not only the DA release but also the microglia and astroglia activation. Aims: During my Ph.D. I studied the influence of neuroprotective drugs, such as MAO inhibitors and metformin, or substances, such as caffeine, on the neurodegenerative effects of two dopaminergic toxins, MDMA and MPTP, in mice. 1. In the first phase of my study, I evaluated the neuroprotective activity of the new MAO-B inhibitor SZV558, compared with well-known rasagiline, in a chronic mouse model of MPTP plus probenecid (MPTPp), which induces a progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. 2. Previous results showed that when MDMA is associated with caffeine, a more pronounced degeneration in adolescent compared with adult mice was observed. To better clarify the molecular mechanism at the base of the different neurotoxic effect of this drug association at different ages, I evaluated the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) expression, which plays a critical role in the integration of dopaminergic and glutamatergic transmissions, in the CPu of adolescent or adult mice treated with MDMA, alone or in combination with caffeine. 3. Finally, I investigated the neuroprotective effect of metformin against dopaminergic neurotoxicity induced by MDMA in the CPu and SNc of adult mice. Conclusions: These results demonstrated that the dopaminergic neurodegenerative process may be induced or conditioned by environment stressors or substances which influence, through different ways, the development of neurodegenerative mechanisms. In the present study I evaluated the effects of 3 substances, known as potentially neuroprotective, in combination with two different neurotoxins that affect the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. The SZV558 MAO-B inhibitor and the metformin protected the nigrostriatal pathway, usually affected in PD, by MPTP- and MDMA- induced neurotoxicity, respectively. On the other hand, caffeine, administrated with MDMA, showed a neurotoxic potential depending on the age of consumers, confirming the vulnerability of adolescent brain to consumption of drug and substances that affected the dopaminergic system. In conclusion, the study of neurodegenerative processes may be relevant to understand the human pharmacology, the origin and development of neurodegenerative disease and to predict the neurotoxic effect of drug abuse.

Investigation of stress and burnout in Irish second-level teachers: A mixed-methods approach.

This study explores the experiences of stress and burnout in Irish second level teachers and examines the contribution of a number of individual, environmental and health factors in burnout development. As no such study has previously been carried out with this sample, a mixed-methods approach was adopted in order to comprehensively investigate the subject matter. Teaching has consistently been identified as a particularly stressful occupation and research investigating its development is of great importance in developing measures to address the problem. The first phase of study involved the use of focus groups conducted with a total of 20 second-level teachers from 11 different schools in the greater Cork city area. Findings suggest that teachers experience a variety of stressors – in class, in the staff room and outside of school. The second phase of study employed a survey to examine the factors associated with burnout. Analysis of 192 responses suggested that burnout results from a combination of demographic, personality, environmental and coping factors. Burnout was also found to be associated with a number of physical symptoms, particularly trouble sleeping and fatigue. Findings suggest that interventions designed to reduce burnout must reflect the complexity of the problem and its development. Based on the research findings, interventions that combine individual and organisational approaches should provide the optimal chance of effectively tackling burnout.

Elicitation techniques for the evaluation of speech under stress: Towards a framework for use in a controlled environment

Existing work in Computer Science and Electronic Engineering demonstrates that Digital Signal Processing techniques can effectively identify the presence of stress in the speech signal. These techniques use datasets containing real or actual stress samples i.e. real-life stress such as 911 calls and so on. Studies that use simulated or laboratory-induced stress have been less successful and inconsistent. Pervasive, ubiquitous computing is increasingly moving towards voice-activated and voice-controlled systems and devices. Speech recognition and speaker identification algorithms will have to improve and take emotional speech into account. Modelling the influence of stress on speech and voice is of interest to researchers from many different disciplines including security, telecommunications, psychology, speech science, forensics and Human Computer Interaction (HCI). The aim of this work is to assess the impact of moderate stress on the speech signal. In order to do this, a dataset of laboratory-induced stress is required. While attempting to build this dataset it became apparent that reliably inducing measurable stress in a controlled environment, when speech is a requirement, is a challenging task. This work focuses on the use of a variety of stressors to elicit a stress response during tasks that involve speech content. Biosignal analysis (commercial Brain Computer Interfaces, eye tracking and skin resistance) is used to verify and quantify the stress response, if any. This thesis explains the basis of the author’s hypotheses on the elicitation of affectively-toned speech and presents the results of several studies carried out throughout the PhD research period. These results show that the elicitation of stress, particularly the induction of affectively-toned speech, is not a simple matter and that many modulating factors influence the stress response process. A model is proposed to reflect the author’s hypothesis on the emotional response pathways relating to the elicitation of stress with a required speech content. Finally the author provides guidelines and recommendations for future research on speech under stress. Further research paths are identified and a roadmap for future research in this area is defined.

Grooming and hygienic behaviours of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) toward the parasitic mite Varroa destructor

Despite a multitude of environmental stressors, the Varroa mite is still regarded as the greatest cause of honey bee mortality in its invaded range. Breeding honey bees that are resistant to the mite is an important area of research. This thesis aimed to gain a better understanding of the grooming and hygienic behaviours of Russian honey bees (RHB). The effect of a break in the synchrony of a mite’s life cycle on reproductive success was tested through brood inoculation experiments. Mites released by hygienic behaviour and forced to enter a new cell are less likely to lay male offspring. Through laboratory cage assays it was found that daughter mites are more susceptible to grooming behaviour. A new method of marking Varroa mites was developed which would enable a single cohort of mites to be followed after inoculation. A strong brood removal trait was noticed in RHB colonies, therefore they were tested for Varroa sensitive hygienic (VSH) behaviour. RHB demonstrated levels of VSH as high as the USDA line bred specifically for this behaviour. In addition the same QTL found to be responsible for the trait in VSH bees, was associated with VSH in RHB stock. Previous work showed that the ratio of older mites to total trapped mites (O/T) in the debris of honey bee colonies demonstrated the strongest association with colony infestation. This research showed that O/T is associated with VSH and brood removal behaviour. In addition, bees that displayed high levels of VSH in this study were also more likely to spend a longer amount of time grooming in laboratory assays. This indicates that both grooming and hygienic behaviours play important roles in the resistance of RHB stock. Their likelihood to be expressed by other stocks is discussed and recommendations for further research are provided.

Caregiver burden and resilience among Malaysian caregivers of individuals with severe mental illness

Little research has focused on caregiver burden experienced by Malaysian caregivers of individuals with mental illness, despite the fact that data in the Asian region shows almost threequarter of patients with mental illness live with family members. The aim of this research was to examine the levels of caregiver burden and resilience of caregivers of individuals with severe mental illness and to determine the influencing factors on caregiver burden. A quantitative, cross sectional, correlational design was used to measure burden and resilience and to explore the relationship between demographic variables, caregiver stressors, resilience and caregiver burden. This study was guided by the model of Carer Stress and Burden. Data collection was conducted over two months in summer 2014. A self-administered questionnaire that consisted of four sections measuring demographic data, primary stressors, caregiver burden and resilience was used to collect data. Two hundred and one caregivers of individuals with mental illness attending Psychiatric Outpatient Clinics in Malaysia were recruited. Samples were selected using non-probability, consecutive sampling. Factors that were found to be significantly associated with caregiver burden were caregivers’ age, gender, ethnic group, employment status, having a medical condition and current health status. The primary stressors found to be significantly associated with caregiver burden include the time spent for caregiving tasks, unavailability of support with caregiving tasks, lack of emotional support and patients’ behavioural disturbances. In addition, it was found that caregivers who were less resilient reported a higher level of caregiver burden. Findings from hierarchical multiple regression indicated that caregivers’ marital status, current health status, time spent for caregiving and resilience predicted caregiver burden. This research provides insight into caregiver burden among caregivers of individuals with mental illness in Malaysia. It highlights the important factors associated with caregiver burden and the significant role of resilience in reducing caregiver burden.