From Parents to Romantic Partners in a Globalized World: Coping with Relationship Stress in Adolescents from 20 Nations

Long-distance romantic relationships have become prevalent in today's globalized world. Although mainstream communication technologies have provided instant, cheap, and convenient channels for people to communicate at a distance, the emphasis of these technologies is placed on functionality as they are designed for a large variety of end users, rather than providing emotional communication which the author argues is meaningful and necessary for the individuals to maintain ties to their romantic partners who are forced to live physically apart for some reason. The author envisions that there is a gap between understanding the users' needs in research and designing technologies for them in practice. The author's PhD research has been dedicated to bridging this gap by mediating emotional communication for serious long-distance romantic relationships through unconventional artefacts. This manuscript presents an overview of the work thus far.

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An Initial Investigation of Suicide Attempt Disclosures Among US Veterans

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000727 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Brooke A. Ammerman ◽

Sarah P. Carter ◽

Heather M. Gebhardt ◽

Jonathan Buchholz ◽

Mark A. Reger

Keyword(s):

Suicide Attempt ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Psychiatric Treatment ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Romantic Partners ◽

Small Sample ◽

Professional Care ◽

Patient Disclosure ◽

Previous Suicide Attempt

Abstract. Background: Patient disclosure of prior suicidal behaviors is critical for effectively managing suicide risk; however, many attempts go undisclosed. Aims: The current study explored how responses following a suicide attempt disclosure may relate to help-seeking outcomes. Method: Participants included 37 veterans with a previous suicide attempt receiving inpatient psychiatric treatment. Veterans reported on their most and least helpful experiences disclosing their suicide attempt to others. Results: Veterans disclosed their suicide attempt to approximately eight individuals. Mental health professionals were the most cited recipient of their most helpful disclosure; romantic partners were the most common recipient of their least helpful disclosures. Positive reactions within the context of the least helpful disclosure experience were positively associated with a sense of connection with the disclosure recipient. Positive reactions within the most helpful disclosure experience were positively associated with the likelihood of future disclosure. No reactions were associated with having sought professional care or likelihood of seeking professional care. Limitations: The results are considered preliminary due to the small sample size. Conclusion: Findings suggest that while positive reactions may influence suicide attempt disclosure experiences broadly, additional research is needed to clarify factors that drive the decision to disclose a suicide attempt to a professional.

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