title: Adolescents' Stigmatisation of Mental Illness

authors: Greenman, Alison Mary

subjects: Stigmatisation

abstract: Stigmatisation of individuals with mental illness has a negative effect on their quality of life, help seeking behaviour, treatment outcomes, and on the individual‟s self-esteem and self-efficacy. The stigmatisation of mental illness has a harmful impact on the individual experience of mental illness and is found to reduce help-seeking behaviour. Adolescents in particular, are theorised to be the most vulnerable to the effects of stigmatisation and vulnerable to mental illness. This makes the identification of possible stigma within the adolescent population the first of several important steps on the road to reducing stigmatisation of mental illness and increasing help-seeking behaviour within this population. This study examined how the knowledge that someone has a mental illness affected adolescent cognitions about that person. The results indicate no significant difference for the total scores on the PPQ for the experimental and control conditions. However, the adolescents did show stigmatisation of mental illness when looking at the individual questions on the PPQ. They saw the interviewee as hostile, less competent as a parent, and as someone they would be less likely to go to for help in solving their problems. This research supports international literature which suggests the most prevalent mental illness stigmatisations are related to dangerousness and competence.

text: Adolescents' Stigmatisation of Mental Illness Stigmatisation of individuals with mental illness has a negative effect on their quality of life, help seeking behaviour, treatment outcomes, and on the individual‟s self-esteem and self-efficacy. The stigmatisation of mental illness has a harmful impact on the individual experience of mental illness and is found to reduce help-seeking behaviour. Adolescents in particular, are theorised to be the most vulnerable to the effects of stigmatisation and vulnerable to mental illness. This makes the identification of possible stigma within the adolescent population the first of several important steps on the road to reducing stigmatisation of mental illness and increasing help-seeking behaviour within this population. This study examined how the knowledge that someone has a mental illness affected adolescent cognitions about that person. The results indicate no significant difference for the total scores on the PPQ for the experimental and control conditions. However, the adolescents did show stigmatisation of mental illness when looking at the individual questions on the PPQ. They saw the interviewee as hostile, less competent as a parent, and as someone they would be less likely to go to for help in solving their problems. This research supports international literature which suggests the most prevalent mental illness stigmatisations are related to dangerousness and competence.

year: 2012

title: Work-Family Conflict and Facilitation among Employees in Hong Kong

authors: Wong, Chi Kin

subjects: Work-Family Balance

abstract: Work-family imbalance can induce negative consequences, such as poor physical and psychological well-being for individuals.  Hong Kong employees commonly agree that work-family balance is important for them, but it is difficult to balance work and family lives (Mahtani, 2006).  Very few studies have comprehensively explored how to eliminate the conflict, and to enhance the integration between work and family domains.  This may hinder researchers and practitioners from exploring effective strategies for promoting work-family balance.  The present study explored work-family conflict and enrichment among Hong Kong employees.  
    This study examined the relationships between demands and resources in work and family lives, work-family conflict and enrichment, personal and work outcomes, and optimism and Confucian work values as moderator variables.  The longitudinal mediating effects of work-family conflict and enrichment were examined, and potential cross-sectional and longitudinal moderating effects on the relationships between predictor variables and work-family conflict and enrichment were also explored.  
    A two-wave panel design was adopted with data collection separated by a ten-month interval.  Questionnaires were designed for the participants and their supervisors.  509 participants at Time 1 and 208 participants at Time 2 from three universities in Hong Kong completed self-report questionnaires, and 208 supervisors of the participants completed another questionnaire at Time 2.   
    Predictor variables at work were significantly associated with work-family conflict and enrichment perceived in the work domain, and predictor variables in the family domain were significantly related to work-family conflict and enrichment perceived in the family domain.  Work-family conflict and enrichment were significantly associated with personal and work outcomes.
    Mediation analyses showed that there were very few longitudinal mediating effects of work-family conflict and enrichment between predictor and criterion variables.  These findings suggest that work-family conflict and enrichment might not consistently contribute mediating effects in the relationships between these predictor and criterion variables over time. 
    Potential effects of optimism and Confucian work values have been rarely explored in previous Chinese work-family studies, and therefore this study examined the moderating effects of these two variables in relation to work-family conflict and enrichment.  However, moderating analyses indicated that there were very few cross-sectional and longitudinal moderating effects of optimism and Confucian work values confirmed in this study.  
    Overall, the findings of this research illustrate that work-family conflict and enrichment could be separately affected by demands and resources in work and family lives.  Work-family conflict and enrichment could also contribute significant effects on individuals’ well-being and work productivity.  The results also imply that the significance of mediation and moderation effects for work-family conflict and enrichment might be determined by personal factors (e.g. coping strategies of individuals) or organisational factors (e.g. organisational culture).  
    The present study separately examined two directions of work-family conflict and enrichment, which extends the understanding of these topics in the Chinese context.  The findings support related Western literature that perceived work-family conflict and enrichment in one domain were determined by the source in the same domain, and each direction of conflict or enrichment was associated with outcomes in the domain receiving the conflict or enrichment.  These findings may extend the discussion of the relationships between potential factors and consequences of work-family conflict and enrichment for Hong Kong employees.  The present study also provided additional information to understand the relationships between cultural values and work-family conflict and enrichment. The results may aid practitioners to formulate appropriate interventions, such as family-friendly employment policies and practices in enhancing work-family balance in Hong Kong.

text: Work-Family Conflict and Facilitation among Employees in Hong Kong Work-family imbalance can induce negative consequences, such as poor physical and psychological well-being for individuals.  Hong Kong employees commonly agree that work-family balance is important for them, but it is difficult to balance work and family lives (Mahtani, 2006).  Very few studies have comprehensively explored how to eliminate the conflict, and to enhance the integration between work and family domains.  This may hinder researchers and practitioners from exploring effective strategies for promoting work-family balance.  The present study explored work-family conflict and enrichment among Hong Kong employees.  
    This study examined the relationships between demands and resources in work and family lives, work-family conflict and enrichment, personal and work outcomes, and optimism and Confucian work values as moderator variables.  The longitudinal mediating effects of work-family conflict and enrichment were examined, and potential cross-sectional and longitudinal moderating effects on the relationships between predictor variables and work-family conflict and enrichment were also explored.  
    A two-wave panel design was adopted with data collection separated by a ten-month interval.  Questionnaires were designed for the participants and their supervisors.  509 participants at Time 1 and 208 participants at Time 2 from three universities in Hong Kong completed self-report questionnaires, and 208 supervisors of the participants completed another questionnaire at Time 2.   
    Predictor variables at work were significantly associated with work-family conflict and enrichment perceived in the work domain, and predictor variables in the family domain were significantly related to work-family conflict and enrichment perceived in the family domain.  Work-family conflict and enrichment were significantly associated with personal and work outcomes.
    Mediation analyses showed that there were very few longitudinal mediating effects of work-family conflict and enrichment between predictor and criterion variables.  These findings suggest that work-family conflict and enrichment might not consistently contribute mediating effects in the relationships between these predictor and criterion variables over time. 
    Potential effects of optimism and Confucian work values have been rarely explored in previous Chinese work-family studies, and therefore this study examined the moderating effects of these two variables in relation to work-family conflict and enrichment.  However, moderating analyses indicated that there were very few cross-sectional and longitudinal moderating effects of optimism and Confucian work values confirmed in this study.  
    Overall, the findings of this research illustrate that work-family conflict and enrichment could be separately affected by demands and resources in work and family lives.  Work-family conflict and enrichment could also contribute significant effects on individuals’ well-being and work productivity.  The results also imply that the significance of mediation and moderation effects for work-family conflict and enrichment might be determined by personal factors (e.g. coping strategies of individuals) or organisational factors (e.g. organisational culture).  
    The present study separately examined two directions of work-family conflict and enrichment, which extends the understanding of these topics in the Chinese context.  The findings support related Western literature that perceived work-family conflict and enrichment in one domain were determined by the source in the same domain, and each direction of conflict or enrichment was associated with outcomes in the domain receiving the conflict or enrichment.  These findings may extend the discussion of the relationships between potential factors and consequences of work-family conflict and enrichment for Hong Kong employees.  The present study also provided additional information to understand the relationships between cultural values and work-family conflict and enrichment. The results may aid practitioners to formulate appropriate interventions, such as family-friendly employment policies and practices in enhancing work-family balance in Hong Kong.

year: 2014

title: Mahi Toi Skills in Contemporary Education, Training and Maori Development

authors: Joseph, Makarita Ngapine Tangitu

subjects: Kia mau ki nga taonga tuku iho o nga tupuna

abstract: Since the 1980’s, national investment in human capital and skill formation policy in education has been promoted as key to economic success and social inclusion. Social inclusion, however, is often expressed as helping citizens to become employable. Although employability is a key focus of skills formation and education policy, the context of the western ideologies that it derives from and caters to perpetuates the exclusion of mahi toi (arts and crafts) skills in education. Using a kaupapa Māori approach, two key informants who specialise and teach mahi toi skills, either rāranga (weaving) or pounamu (jade/greenstone), were interviewed. The aim was to get a better understanding of how these skills can contribute to personal, professional and Māori development in the 21st century, and to provide information indicating where and how these skills can be learnt, either through private training enterprises (PTE) or public tertiary educational institutions (TEI), thereby highlighting the value of teaching and learning rāranga and pounamu skills. Findings from analysing their pūrākau indicate that learning rāranga or pounamu skills can provide a foundation for believing in your potential, contribute to cultural identity, improve confidence and communication skills, help an individual be bestowed or acquire mana, offer a type of therapy, enhance career progression and professional identity, provide financial rewards and stability, and help with the revitalisation and transfer of cultural knowledge. Ultimately, it is concluded that mahi toi skills such as rāranga and pounamu can contribute to the development of an individual’s personal and professional lives, but also has benefits for the organisation where they become employed as well as extended whānau, hapū and iwi.

text: Mahi Toi Skills in Contemporary Education, Training and Maori Development Since the 1980’s, national investment in human capital and skill formation policy in education has been promoted as key to economic success and social inclusion. Social inclusion, however, is often expressed as helping citizens to become employable. Although employability is a key focus of skills formation and education policy, the context of the western ideologies that it derives from and caters to perpetuates the exclusion of mahi toi (arts and crafts) skills in education. Using a kaupapa Māori approach, two key informants who specialise and teach mahi toi skills, either rāranga (weaving) or pounamu (jade/greenstone), were interviewed. The aim was to get a better understanding of how these skills can contribute to personal, professional and Māori development in the 21st century, and to provide information indicating where and how these skills can be learnt, either through private training enterprises (PTE) or public tertiary educational institutions (TEI), thereby highlighting the value of teaching and learning rāranga and pounamu skills. Findings from analysing their pūrākau indicate that learning rāranga or pounamu skills can provide a foundation for believing in your potential, contribute to cultural identity, improve confidence and communication skills, help an individual be bestowed or acquire mana, offer a type of therapy, enhance career progression and professional identity, provide financial rewards and stability, and help with the revitalisation and transfer of cultural knowledge. Ultimately, it is concluded that mahi toi skills such as rāranga and pounamu can contribute to the development of an individual’s personal and professional lives, but also has benefits for the organisation where they become employed as well as extended whānau, hapū and iwi.

year: 2018