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Biomedical subjects

N Gold

Publications and source records attributed to N Gold.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

A comparative study of risk assessments and recommended interventions in Canada and Israel.

OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to examine how professionals assess children at risk and their parents, and decide on particular interventions. Specifically, we explored whether their assessments and decision-making are influenced by (1) the mother's degree of cooperativeness and/or (2) the country in which the worker lives (Canada or Israel). METHOD: Workers working in the child welfare field (N = 181) were presented with a case vignette and asked to assess the child and parents, and the degree of risk to the child, and make an intervention recommendation. The measures used in this study were based on previous work and field-tested in both countries. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between the two countries regarding workers' age and level of experience, with Canadians being older and more experienced than Israelis. Significant differences were also found between the two countries regarding the assessments of the child and parents and also of risk to the child, with Canadians assessing significantly more stringently than Israelis. The difference in levels of experience between the two countries did not explain these differences; however, it did influence intervention recommendations, only for those with 3 years or more of experience. Within this group, significantly more Canadians than Israelis recommended removing the child from the home. Regarding maternal cooperativeness, this factor did affect workers' assessments of the mother, but not of the father or child, or the worker's recommended intervention. Israelis' assessments were significantly more influenced by the mother's cooperativeness than Canadians'. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences were found between the Canadian and Israeli professionals in this study in both their assessments and their intervention recommendations. These appear to reflect the different social, cultural, and political contexts in which these professionals work, and underscores the value of cross-national comparative studies in child welfare.

Canada↗
PubMed2000

Well-adjusted children: an alternate view of children with inflammatory bowel disease and functional gastrointestinal complaints.

Previous studies have suggested impaired psychosocial adjustment in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We examined 62 subjects referred to a regional Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic with IBD or functional gastrointestinal (FGI) complaints. Characteristics of the clinic include a unified team approach, regularly scheduled appointments at 3-month intervals, proactive medical care emphasizing maintenance of full functioning, and close medical-surgical interaction (joint clinics). A research assistant administered a questionnaire regarding children's perceptions of their illness, as well as the Child Depression Inventory (CDI), the Piers-Harris (PH) test of self-concept, and the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL). The 36 children with IBD (25 Crohn's disease, 11 ulcerative colitis, mean age 13.3 +/- 3.0 years) were compared with 26 patients with FGI complaints (16 recurrent abdominal pain, 10 functional megacolon, mean age 11.4 +/- 2.8 years). The scores on the standardized tests were not clinically significant for either group. In comparison, however, children with IBD were less depressed and had fewer behaviour problems than the FGI group. Surprisingly, only 19% (7 of 36) of children with IBD described their illness as a problem to them, compared with 65% (17 of 26) of children with FGI symptoms. The latter children also considered themselves significantly sicker than did those with IBD. We conclude that normal psychosocial adjustment is possible in pediatric patients with IBD. We speculate that this group benefitted from the professional supports that our clinic specifically provides to patients with IBD. The FGI group may have suffered from a lack of such professional supports, as well as from the absence of a specific diagnosis.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMed1999

Disability terminology in the media: a comparison of newspaper reports in Canada and Israel.

The terminology used to refer to persons with disability may both reflect and influence attitudes towards them. Negative references may perpetuate negative attitudes and stereotypes. This is of particular importance in the mass media which reaches a broad spectrum of the population. This study looked at disability terminology used in major newspapers in Canada and Israel. It focused on the nature of that terminology and whether its use was related to other factors, such as the disability model reflected in the article, the content of the article (e.g. attributes of the disabled person) and its context (e.g. type of newspaper, feature versus news items). Overall, the use of inappropriate terminology of varying types was quite prevalent in both countries. In addition, in Canada there were a considerable number of articles which had no direct reference to the disability. In general, the terminology used was considerably more positive in articles dealing with individual persons with disabilities (as opposed to groups), with disabled children and with problems of mobility and rights. The results of the study indicate that the choice of terminology cannot be explained by journalistic expedience and conciseness alone.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1999

Media reports on disability: a binational comparison of types and causes of disability as reported in major newspapers.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to examine the way in which newspapers in two countries relate to problems of disability and people with disabilities. In particular, we looked at the way the extent, type and focus of newspaper articles in both countries varied with the type and cause of the disability under discussion. METHOD: A content analysis of over 400 newspaper articles collected over a 3 month period in Canada and Israel was carried out. RESULTS: The findings show that physical disabilities received the most media attention and positive treatment in both countries, followed by psychiatric disabilities and then developmental disabilities. Likewise, disabilities stemming from congenital problems were treated more positively. The Canadian press was somewhat more progressive than the Israeli press at naming individuals with disability, using appropriate labelling and focusing on somewhat more progressive issues. On the other hand, people with developmental disabilities received more favourable treatment in the Israeli press. CONCLUSIONS: The press has an important role in reflecting and shaping public attitudes. In many ways media coverage reinforces negative attitudes towards people with disabilities, particularly those with psychiatric and developmental disabilities. While there were some differences between the two countries, overall the results suggest that these tendencies, which have been observed in other countries as well, are not limited by national boundaries.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1999

Gender issues in newspaper coverage of people with disabilities: a Canada-Israel comparison.

This research compared how over a three-month period Canadian and Israeli newspapers wrote about females and males with disabilities. The results showed that in both countries there was significantly greater coverage of males than females. In addition, different (and stereotypical) types of details were used to describe the two groups, and females were associated with different kinds of problems than males, including a higher incidence of violence and victimization. There were also some significant differences between the male and female journalists in this study, and evidence of sexism within the newspaper industry. This paper concludes with some ideas for altering the images of disabled women in the media.

Canada↗
PubMed1993

Depression and social adjustment in siblings of boys with autism.

Compared 22 siblings of autistic boys and 34 other siblings on measures of depression, social adjustment, and the amount of child care and domestic responsibility the siblings carry within the family. The relationship between sibling gender, age, birth order, qualities of the boy with autism, and family characteristics, and siblings' scores on the above measures were examined. Results of this research showed that siblings of autistic boys scored significantly higher on depression than the comparison group, but not on problems of social adjustment. There were no statistically significant gender differences; however, different gender-related patterns emerged on the correlates which may be of theoretical significance for future studies.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1980

Dumb blond syndrome.

In a retrospective study of sixteen female psychiatric patients who had received treatment over long periods of time, it was found that the patients' below-average intellectual functioning was an unrecognized primary factor in misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. All these patients had received psychotherapy (individual and group) and a wide variety of psychotropic medication. Several had been treated with ECT, also without benefit. We remind doctors that the presentation of the well-groomed, well-spoken, attractive female patient with social supports may conceal an element of intellectual handicap. We suggest awareness of this possibility may modify diagnostic and treatment procedures, so that the dangers of subsequent iatrogenic illness may be avoided.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Psychiatric consultation: the patient, the doctors and their letters.

Letters to psychiatrists by general practitioners are the main method of communication between doctors when a patient is referred. This study has been of critical data from the letters to the psychiatrists, and an analysis of the information from the psychiatrist to the general practitioner. Improvements are necessary in this field so the patient can receive optimal care.

Adult↗