Impact of osteoarthritis on individuals and society: how much disability? Social consequences and health economic implications

Osteoarthritis is a major cause of disability in both the developed and developing world. With the population aging, the prevalence of osteoarthritis is increasing and its consequences are impacting significantly on society. This is one of the reasons why osteoarthritis has been adopted as a major focus (along with osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, back pain, and musculoskeletal trauma) by the global initiative-the Decade of Bone and Joint Disease. Adequate studies on the costs of osteoarthritis are urgently required so that cogent arguments can be made to governments to appropriately fund prevention and treatment programs for this condition. Its recognition as a major cause of disability, particularly in the aging population, should increase community focus on this important condition. (C) 2002 Lippincott Williams Wilkins, Inc.

A review of peer support in the context of cancer

Peer support interventions for people with cancer, their families, and friends have been widely used throughout the world. The present study reviewed the research literature on psychosocial oncology over the past decade to assess the prevalence and contribution of articles on peer support. Using CD-Rom databases, 25 articles were retrieved for review. In each article, patients or their family members were the target group for supportive interventions, which were primarily for the delivery of peer support and included either a qualitative or quantitative evaluation of the program. A definitional taxonomy for peer support interventions, which identified eight discrete settings, was derived from three key dimensions: style of supervision, interpersonal context, and mode of delivery. The studies suggested that peer support programs help by providing emotional and informational support from the perspective of shared personal experience. However, a paucity of research-particularly randomized controlled trials-was noted. The reasons may include inherent difficulties in isolating for study what is essentially a naturalistically occurring interpersonal dynamic from the complex social and community contexts from which it emanates. The authors discuss the gap between practice and theory in this area and recommend a broader and more inclusive view of supportive care for people with cancer. (C) 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

The case for emotional intelligence in organizational research

Since its popularization by Goleman (1995), the concept of emotional intelligence has been the subject of ongoing controversy, so it is understandable that the model we proposed, which includes emotional intelligence as a moderator variable, would attract its share of criticism.

Is emotional intelligence training for leaders justified?

In this paper, we present the results of a qualitative study of subordinate perceptions of leaders. The study represents a preliminary test of a model based on Affective Events Theory, which posits that leaders who are seen to be effective shape the affective events that determine employees' attitudes and behaviours in the workplace. Within this framework, we argue that effective leaders ameliorate employees' hassles by providing frequent, small emotional uplifts. The resulting positive affective states are then proposed to lead to more positive employee attitudes and behaviours, and more positive regard for the leader. Importantly, leaders who demonstrate these ameliorating behaviours are likely to require high levels of emotional intelligence, defined in terms of the ability to recognise, understand, and manage emotions in self and others. To investigate this model, we conducted interviews and focus groups with 10 leaders and 24 employees. Results confirmed that these processes do indeed exist in the workplace. In particular, leaders who were seen by employees to provide continuous small emotional uplifts were consistently held to be the most effective. Study participants were especially affected by negative events (or hassles). Leaders who failed to deal with hassles or, worse still, were the source of hassles, were consistently seen to be less effective. We conclude with a discussion of implications for practicing managers, and suggest that our exploratory findings provide justification for emotional intelligence training as a means to improve leader perceptions and effectiveness. [Abstract from author]

Effects of physical activity on emotional well-being among older Australian women - Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses

Objective: To explore relationships between physical activity and mental health cross-sectionally and longitudinally in a large cohort of older Australian women. Method: Women in their 70s participating in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health responded in 1996 (aged 70-75) and in 1999 (aged 73-78). Cross-sectional data were analyzed for 10,063 women and longitudinal data for 6472. Self-reports were used to categorize women into four categories of physical activity at each time point as well as to define four physical activity transition categories across the 3-year period. Outcome variables for the cross-sectional analyses were the mental health component score (MCS) and mental health subscales of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36). The longitudinal analyses focused on changes in these variables. Confounders included the physical health component scale (PCS) of the SF-36, marital status, body mass index (BMI) and life events. Adjustment for baseline scores was included for the longitudinal analyses. Results: Cross-sectionally, higher levels of physical activity were associated with higher scores on all dependent variables, both with and without adjustment for confounders. Longitudinally, the effects were weaker, but women who had made a transition from some physical activity to none generally showed more negative changes in emotional well-being than those who had always been sedentary, while those who maintained or adopted physical activity had better outcomes. Conclusion: Physical activity is associated with emotional well-being among a population cohort of older women both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, supporting the need for the promotion of appropriate physical activity in this age group. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Putting the group back into unions: A social psychological contribution to understanding union support

Industrial relations research that attempts to grapple with individuals' union-related sentiments and activities often draws on one of two traditions of psychological research—the individual-level factors tradition (for example, personality and attitude-behaviour relations) and the social context tradition (for example, frustration-aggression and relative deprivation). This paper provides an overview of research conducted from within these traditions to explain union-related phenomena and identifies some of the limitations that arise as a consequence of a shared tendency to treat people in an atomistic fashion. The paper argues for an understanding of the psychological processes that underpin group-based action. To this end, it elaborates a theoretical framework based on social identity theory and self-categorisation theory that would allow us to examine the dynamic interplay between the individual, their cognitions and their environment. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of a specific case of union mobilisation, to indicate how this theoretical framework might aid empirical analysis.