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Empirical research in social psychology has provided robust support for the accuracy of the heuristics and biases approach to human judgment. This research, however, has not been systematically investigated regarding its potential applications for specific health care decision-makers. This paper makes the case for investigating the heuristics and biases approach in the patient–physician relationship and recommends strategic empirical research. It is argued that research will be valuable for particular decisions in the clinic and for examining and altering the background conditions of patient and physician decision-making. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Using 1996/1997 to 2000/2001 data from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, this paper examines the effects of harassment on self-rated and mental health status among Canadian adolescents aged 16–17 years. Forty-six percent of the children experienced harassment and victimization (verbal aggression, threat, and physical harm/assault) at school and 40% outside of school. Harassment at school, rather than otherwise, was associated with poor health status and higher levels of depression even when previous health conditions and socio-demographic variables were held constant. The relationship between harassment and mental health is particularly pronounced among girls, immigrant children and those living in single-parent households. Given the sizable proportion of adolescents as victims of harassment at school and its significant relationship with both health status and depression, the issue warrants serious public health attention through school-based intervention programs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It is widely assumed that the economic and social costs that unemployment gives rise to must be exacerbated where joblessness is concentrated within families. This hypothesis is tested in this paper. Specifically, data from the first five waves of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey (HILDA), a nationally representative household panel survey administered in Australia, are used to test whether jobless individuals score worse on a measure of mental health when they live in households with other jobless people. Consistent with previous research, unemployment is found to be associated with lower levels of mental health. No evidence, however, can be found for any additional disadvantage to the unemployed stemming from living in a jobless household. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

“Survivor” has become a ubiquitous and largely unquestioned term in culture and cancer discourse. While anecdotal evidence suggests women with breast cancer find fault with survivor images and discourse, the extent to which women identify with or reject the survivor identity has not been empirically studied. This paper examines whether women treated for breast cancer embrace survivorship. Data come from 39 in-depth interviews with women in the United States who completed treatment for breast cancer 3–18 months prior to the interview. Despite the positive meanings attached to survivorship, many women altered the meaning of survivorship or rejected survivorship. In particular, the survivor discourse alienated women who struggle with the threat of recurrence, who feel their cancer experience was not severe enough to merit this title, or who desire a private disease experience. These findings illustrate the failure of our cultural conceptions of cancer to adequately reflect lived experience and highlight how individuals actively “craft” illness meanings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we use data collected from a statewide probability sample of Texas, USA adults to test whether perceptions of neighborhood disorder are associated with increased risk of obesity. Building on prior research, we also test whether the association between neighborhood disorder and obesity is mediated by psychological, physiological, and behavioral mechanisms. We propose and test a theoretical model which suggests that psychological distress is a lynchpin mechanism that links neighborhood disorder with obesity risk through chronic activation of the physiological stress response, poor self-rated overall diet quality, and irregular exercise. The results of our analyses are generally consistent with this theoretical model. We find that neighborhood disorder is associated with increased risk of obesity, and this association is entirely mediated by psychological distress. We also observe that the positive association between psychological distress and obesity is fully mediated by physiological distress and poor self-rated overall diet quality and only partially mediated by irregular exercise. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper examines the views of ‘health vegetarians’ through a qualitative study of an online vegetarian message board. The researcher participated in discussions on the board, gathered responses to questions from 33 participants, and conducted follow-up e-mail interviews with 18 of these participants. Respondents were predominantly from the United States, Canada and the UK. Seventy per cent were female, and ages ranged from 14 to 53 years, with a median of 26 years. These data are interrogated within a theoretical framework that asks, ‘what can a vegetarian body do?’ and explores the physical, psychic, social and conceptual relations of participants. This provides insights into the identities of participants, and how diet and identity interact. It is concluded that vegetarianism is both a diet and a bodily practice with consequences for identity formation and stabilisation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines how age at immigration influences the association between adult subjective social status and mental health outcomes. The age when people immigrate shapes the capacity and efficiency at which they learn and use a new language, the opportunities to meet and socialize with a wide range of people, and respond to healthy or stressful environments. We hypothesize that adult subjective social status will be more predictive of health outcomes among immigrants who arrive in the US in mid- to late-adulthood compared with immigrants who arrive earlier. To investigate this hypothesis, data on immigrants are drawn from the US first national survey of mental health among Asian Americans (N =1451). Logistic regression is used to estimate the relationships between adult subjective social status and mood dysfunction, a composite of anxiety and affective disorder symptoms. As predicted, age at immigration moderated the relationship between adult subjective social status and mood dysfunction. Adult subjective social status was related to health among immigrants arriving when they were 25 years and older, but there was no association between subjective social status and mental health among immigrants arriving before the age of 25 years. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the class room a hierarchical structure of social relations typically develops in which the child''s position is a marker of the view of the others, i.e. the extent to which he or she is an accepted and valued member of the group. The status distribution in the school class is likely to correspond to differences in personal characteristics, including behaviours and competencies, and to generate a differential distribution of perceived expectations, treatment, resources and emotions. We argue that these phenomena constitute parts in a developmental process which, through mediators such as self-view and subsequent life choices, may affect adult health. The purpose of this paper is to study whether and how peer status is associated with self-reported health in mid-life. Data was derived from a cohort study of individuals born in Aberdeen, Scotland, between 1950 and 1956. We use information about childhood circumstances, including peer status nominations, collected in the early 1960s, and information about adult circumstances derived from a postal questionnaire carried out among more than 6000 individuals in 2001–2003. Multivariate analyses yielded a graded association between peer status and adult health problems in the form of limiting longstanding illness and less than good self-rated health. These associations could not be explained by socioeconomic circumstances or differences in individual behaviour and cognitive score in childhood. It was rather subsequent socioeconomic career that seemed to explain the association found among men. For women, a significant association remained, suggesting alternative pathways or mechanisms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Studies of attitudes towards cadaveric organ donation have failed to adequately explain the disproportionately low rates of cadaveric organ donation among ethnic minorities. This may reflect an unhelpfully static and narrow definition of ‘culture’ entailing a collection of predefined cognitive ‘beliefs’ and ‘attitudes.’ This paper takes a more integrative approach and considers how ethnicity shapes perceptions of identity and belonging that underpin organ donation discourse among a section of Black British Caribbean people, one of largest migrant groups in the UK. The study is based on 14 in-depth interviews with men and women of Caribbean descent living in south London. Respondents’ accounts identified their Caribbean heritage and racial identity as producing a divided sense of loyalty and belonging accompanied by perceptions of discrimination and exclusion from the mainstream society that may have contributed to their lack of trust in doctors and the medical system in relation to organ donation. Furthermore, despite being supportive of kidney donation, death appeared to take on special significance in reaffirming their ethnic identity. This was reflected in their view of the Caribbean as their ideal place of burial and desire that their body should return whole. The study underlines the need for a fresh approach to the understanding of organ donation based on greater knowledge of the construction and significance of ethnic identity and belonging. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between area-level social capital and non-specific psychological distress. It demonstrates that not controlling for non-time-varying omitted variables can seriously bias research findings. We use data from three cross-sections of the US National Health Interview Survey (1999, 2000, and 2001): 37,172 observations nested within 58 Metropolitan Statistical Areas. We also add data from the Area Resource File and County Business Patterns. We use a validated measure of social capital, the Petris Social Capital Index (PSCI), which measures structural social capital. We estimate a two-level multilevel linear model with a random intercept. Non-specific psychological distress is measured using a valid and reliable indicator, the K6. Individual-level variables include sex, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, family income, smoking status, exercise status, and number of visits to a health professional. Area-level covariates include the PSCI, the unemployment rate, psychiatrists per 1000 population, non-psychiatric physicians per 1000 population, and area-level indicators to account for non-time-varying area-level omitted variable bias. Time dummies are also included. We find that lagged area-level social capital is negatively related to non-specific psychological distress among individuals whose family income is less than the median. These associations are much larger when we control for non-time-varying area-level omitted variables. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present paper provides a review of 45 studies on the Effort–Reward Imbalance (ERI) Model published from 1986 to 2003 (inclusive). In 1986, the ERI Model was introduced by Siegrist et al. (Biological and Psychological Factors in Cardiovascular Disease, Springer, Berlin, 1986, pp. 104–126; Social Science & Medicine 22 (1986) 247). The central tenet of the ERI Model is that an imbalance between (high) efforts and (low) rewards leads to (sustained) strain reactions. Besides efforts and rewards, overcommitment (i.e., a personality characteristic) is a crucial aspect of the model. Essentially, the ERI Model contains three main assumptions, which could be labeled as (1) the extrinsic ERI hypothesis: high efforts in combination with low rewards increase the risk of poor health, (2) the intrinsic overcommitment hypothesis: a high level of overcommitment may increase the risk of poor health, and (3) the interaction hypothesis: employees reporting an extrinsic ERI and a high level of overcommitment have an even higher risk of poor health. The review showed that the extrinsic ERI hypothesis has gained considerable empirical support. Results for overcommitment remain inconsistent and the moderating effect of overcommitment on the relation between ERI and employee health has been scarcely examined. Based on these review results suggestions for future research are proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A cross-sectional study addressed the experience of Lebanese hostages of war in Lebanon. It specifically assessed the prevalence of general distress and its relationship to captivity-related factors and selected psychosocial variables. Trained field researchers using standard measurements interviewed 118 Lebanese hostages released from Khiam prison, an Israeli detention center in Lebanon. Questionnaires administered included the GHQ-12 and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Individuals were detained for 3.4 years on average, and 86% were tortured. Psychological distress was present in 42.1% of the sample compared to 27.8% among the control group. In the multivariate analysis, the significant predictors for distress were: years of education and increase in religiosity after release. In conclusion, even after 2 years of release, more than one-third of the Lebanese hostages released from Khiam prison were found to have psychological distress. Caregivers need to pay special attention to the mental health of hostages of war. The paper discusses the meaning and implications of the factors predicting resilience and vulnerability in this particular population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this paper is twofold: firstly to investigate whether the association between childhood and adult psychosocial adjustment can be explained by socio-economic adversity experienced during childhood, and secondly to explore the role of family socio-economic disadvantage and psychological development in explaining adult social inequality in psychological well-being. A developmental-contextual perspective is adopted to analyse the pathways linking childhood experiences to adult functioning in a changing socio-historical context. The study draws on longitudinal data collected for two cohorts of about 30,000 individuals born in Great Britain 12 years apart. Structural equation modelling is used to assess the long-term influence of socio-economic adversity on psychosocial adjustment, and to compare different explanatory models of health inequalities. The results reject a simple selection or social causation argument, suggesting that both dynamics operate in life course development. The effects of social risk cumulate throughout the life course, influencing both behaviour adjustment during childhood and adult psychosocial functioning. It is concluded that the explanation of health differences in adult life must account for the reciprocal interaction between individual behaviour and social circumstances. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This special issue highlights the unique role that social and behavioral science has to play at the forefront of genomics. Through the introduction of papers comprising this special issue, we outline priority research areas at the nexus of genomics and the social and behavioral sciences. These include: Discovery science; clinical and community translation, and equity, including engagement and inclusion of diverse populations in genomic science. We advocate for genomic discovery that considers social context, neural, cognitive, and behavioral endophenotypes, and that is grounded in social and behavioral science research and theory. Further, the social and behavioral sciences should play a leadership role in identifying best practices for effective clinical and community translation of genomic discoveries. Finally, inclusive research that engages diverse populations is necessary for genomic discovery and translation to benefit all. We also highlight ways that genomics can be a fruitful testbed for the development and refinement of social and behavioral science theory. Indeed, an expanded ecological lens that runs from genomes to society will be required to fully understand human behavior. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]