Stressors and Well-being of Divorced Women in Hong Kong
Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work, 9, 42-57.The study examined the prevalence of divorce-related stressors and their impacts on the well-being of 237 separated women in Hong Kong. By means of a cross-sectional study, it was found that most divorced women encountered difficulties in engaging in divorce litigation, anticipated housing problems, and experienced decline in income. Regression analysis showed that litigation and housing problems were the strongest predictors among the various stressors of mental health problems.
It was suggested that divorce mediation services should be publicized more widely and made accessible to divorcing couples. Compassionate housing should also be granted more "leniently" to divorcing women to resolve their housing difficulties.
This study was carried out in partnership with Mrs. Sylvia Y.C. Kwok and the Hong Kong Catholic Marriage Advisory Council.
Active Learning Programmes to Promote Cognitive Change
Groupwork, 10(2), 251-261The article discusses the application of active learning in designing programmes for cognitive change. Two different approaches are examined, including learning through critical reflection and learning through active practice. The former aims at restructuring members' pre-existing knowledge whereas the latter targets the strenghtening of the reception and retention of new information. Specific design steps are explained with illustrative applications. Though cognitive change by itself is seldom sufficient to enhance clients' social functioning, the present suggestions will be valuable when imparting information or combating dysfunctional schemata.
Family Functioning, Social Support to Families, and Symptom Remittance of Schizophrenia
Hong Kong Journal of Psychiatry, 7(2), 19-25The study examined the functioning of families with a schizophrenic member along the six dimensions proposed in the McMaster model of family functioning. It also investigated whether social support to families is related to healthy family functioning. The sample included 61 families with an unremitting schizophrenic member, 59 families with a remitting member, a non-clinical control group of 89 subjects. The Family Assessment Device is the major measurement used to evaluate family functioning. The study found that families with remitting members had family functioning similar to the non-clinical control whereas those with unremitting members functioned poorly.Social support was strongly related to various dimensions of family functioning. Satisfaction with relatives' support was the most significant factor. This underscores the importance of a family perspective in providing treatment and the significance of social support in strengthening the families.
Sociotropy/Autonomy and Differential Effects of Social Support on Psychological Well-Being
Psychologica, 40, 112-120The study investigated the differential effects of social support on the psychological well-being of sociotropic and autonomous individuals. Using a two-wave prospective design, we had 75 college students respond to the Chinese sociotropy-autonomy scale (SAS), index of well-being, the Chinese general health questionniare, the Chinese state anxiety inventory, and the Inventory of socially supportive behaviors at the beginning and the end of a 14-week semester. Data were analyzed by means of multiple regress analyses controlling for psychological outcome variables at Time 1. Moderating effects of sociotropy-autonomy were investigated by examining the significane of the interactions of SAS and social suport. Results showed that whereas perceived availability of social support contributes to the prediction of psychological well-being of sociotropic individuals, the availability is not beneficial or even inimical to those autonomous indivdiuals. The effects holds regardless of the nature of social support, i.e., whether they are emotion-focused or problem-focused. The findings further suggest the importance of the sociotropy-autonomy personality dimensions.
Sociotropy/ autonomy and Differential Effects of Coping Styles on Psychological Well-Being
Psychologia, 42, 16-27The study investigated the differential effects of coping styles on anxiety, well-being, and psychological distress of sociotropic and autonomous individuals. One hundred and seventy five college students responded to the Chinese sociotropy-autonomy scale (SAS), state-anxiety inventory, index of well-being, the Chinese general health questionnaire (C-GHQ), and the adolescent coping orientation for problem experiences in a two-wave prospective design. Moderating effects of sociotropy-autonomy were investigated by examining the significance of the interactions of SAS and coping styles in a hierarchical regression analyses. Results showed that the self-reliant problem solving and seeking family support predict lowered anxiety for highly autonomous individuals, but heightened anxiety for highly sociotropic ones. Effects of coping styles on well-being and GHQ, however, were not moderated by sociotropy and autonomy.
Assessment of Optimistic Self-beliefs: Further Validation of the Chinese Version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale
Psychological Reports, 85, 1221-1224.The Chinese version of the General Self-Efficacy scale developed by Jerusalem and Schwarzer was tested in a sample of 74 Chinese adults with mild mental health symptoms. Analysis showed the scale was unidimensional and had good internal reliability (alpha = .92). The scale score also differentiated groups of different mental health status and correlated strongly with scores on the General Health Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale. Test retest reliability over six months was also adequate.
Predictors of Divorcing Women's Use of Divorce Mediation
Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 31, 37-52.This study examined the relations between perceived usefulness of mediation, problem susceptibility, mental health conditions, availability of social support, and the likelihood of using divorce mediation service. The sample comprised 124 divorcing women in Hong Kong who sought legal aid to settle matrimonial issues. A large proportion of participants indicated their willingness to use mediation. Logistic regression showed that likely users have higher appreciation of the helpfulness of the service, have poorer mental health, and to some extent, receive lower levels of social support from informal sources. Susceptibility to housing, finance, and child-care problems is not a significant predictor. The results strongly suggest the importance of promoting mediation services to the people in need.
[ E-mail: Dr. S.K. Cheung | About Dr. S.K.Cheung ]
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