Social determinants of human health

The study is devoted to the analysis of social determinants of human health, their quantitative and qualitative aspects. The analysis was carried out according to the authors' methodology, which includes a comparison of the results of the questionnaire (subjective qualitative assessment) and the correlation analysis of social determinants with the life expectancy indicator. The Republic of Tatarstan, a dynamically developing region of the Russian Federation, where life expectancy is much higher compared to other regions (75.03 years in 2019), was chosen as the territorial object of analysis. The study hypothesized that it could be proved that social determinants were the most important component of health, and without them, its formation, maintenance, and strengthening would be impossible. Based on the results of the comprehensive analysis, the hypothesis was confirmed: 1) the qualitative analysis confirmed that the respondents were aware of the impact of social determinants on their health and identified individual indicators: the level of social security, stress, ecology, as well as immediate environment and working conditions; 2) the results of the quantitative analysis made it possible to state that health was affected by the following social determinants: divorce rates, environmental pollution, provision of medical services, construction rates and housing costs.

Developing expertise in psychoanalytic couple and family therapy in China

The author traces the development of a collaborative psychoanalytic training programme for couple and family therapists in China, launched through the shared efforts of Drs David Scharff, Jill Savege Scharff, Janine Wanlass, Fang Xin and Gao Jun, enrolling more than 400 students over the past twelve years. The stressors of economic change, greater interaction with the West, legacies left by the Cultural Revolution, challenges associated with the one-child policy, and escalating divorce rates created a need for therapists to intervene with Chinese couples and families exhibiting distress (Scharff, 2020, 2021). A training programme was conceived, including didactic teaching from an object relations perspective, a live clinical demonstration of psychotherapy with a couple or family, and small process groups led by Chinese therapists to help trainees integrate affective, cognitive, and behavioural learning components. The author contends that the success of this programme was largely dependent on a collaboration of cultures and personnel, as American teachers learned about psychoanalytic thinking from a Chinese cultural lens and Chinese administrators, faculty, and students discovered effective ways to address the mental health struggles of Chinese couples and families.

Socio-Demographic Situation in Kazakhstan: Problems of Reproduction

An increase in the birth rates and a decrease in mortality is currently one of the priority lines of the development of society. From a purely technocratic standpoint, development of the population should be based on accurate knowledge of the number of consumers and the movement of needs, without which it is impossible to solve many social problems in general. The paper addresses a question of the need to orient the economy towards the development of a person and the population as a whole. The purpose and objectives of the study were to identify the dynamics of the population size, natural increase, the main trends in the growth of birth rate, the analysis of the causes of death, including infant mortality, the study of the marriage and divorce rates, migration. In the main part of the paper, the indicators of the population size in the republic over the past 17 years and in recent years are considered, including: the main trends in population growth, factors affecting the growth and decrease in mortality, causes of infant mortality, migration balance, marriage and divorce rates, both in the republic as a whole and region-wise. In conclusion, proposals were made to create favourable conditions for the demographic growth of population of the republic. Today, the solution of problems in the field of demographic policy is becoming increasingly important. It is necessary to accurately determine the priority paths of demographic growth, taking into account the specifics of the development of the population of Kazakhstan. In the future, this would facilitate the solution of demographic problems in terms of improving the demographic situation, which will contribute to the prosperity of the whole state.

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Divorce Rates among Indonesian Muslim Societies

This study aims to look at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on divorce rates in Indonesia. Few months after the outbreak, the media reported the increasing rate of divorce. Some authorities and researchers have taken this information for granted; therefore, their responses can be misleading. This socio-legal study confronts the media reports with the statistical data on divorce case numbers received by the Religious (Islamic) Courts and the Religious Courts judges’ explanation about the issue. This study finds out that the one-year period (2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic has not influenced the rates of divorce cases submitted to the court. Social mobility restrictions and the inadequate use of the E-Court facility to enhance courts’ performance are among the causes of the crowding of divorce applicants. This implies that the current COVID-19 pandemic has little impact on divorce dynamics despite its significant influence on households’ economic instability and the increasing of domestic violence cases. With a more careful response to the media report, the authorities will be able to address the real issues faced by many households and the judiciary.

Why Do People Divorce Late in Life? Swedish Gray Divorce Narratives

Divorce rates for people 60+ has increased in many parts of the Western world in what has been described as a “grey divorce revolution”. In Sweden these divorce rates have more than doubled since the millennium. But why do people choose to divorce late in life and what is the impact of life phase typical transitions? Qualitative interviews with 37 Swedish men and women (aged 62-81) divorced after the age of 60 were collected, covering themes regarding the divorce process: motives for and experiences of divorce, and life as grey divorcee. The results by thematic analysis show that motives for divorcing earlier in the life-course, such as abuse, unfaithfulness and addiction are prevalent also among older people. However, they tend to be framed differently in later life and be integrated into divorce narratives informed by age. We identified four life phase typical narratives for divorce: 1) Lack of a common project for the third age. 2) Partners personality change due to age related disease. 3) Increased freedom after empty-nest allowing emancipation from a dominant partner. 4) A final romantic adventure as a form of rejuvenation. All these life-phase typical narratives are related to the third age as a time of self-fulfillment, where the partner can either be part of or an obstacle to that project. The results will be used to discuss current older cohorts’ views of family norms and later life from the perspective that current older cohorts participated in the divorce revolution in the 1970s as young adults.

Is suicide underreported? Evidence from Japan

Purpose The underreporting of suicides has been a serious global concern among scholars and policymakers. Several studies have sought to detect the prevalence of underreporting by examining whether suicide mortality rates are negatively correlated with those due to unknown intent or causes. This study adds to the literature by examining the potential underreporting of suicides in Japan, where suicide rates have greatly declined in the recent years. Methods We compiled subnational data from 47 prefectures between 1995 and 2016, obtained from Vital Statistics of Japan. We examined whether (1) mortality rates due to unknown intent or causes increased as suicide rates decreased; and (2) major socioeconomic causes of suicide (unemployment and divorce rates) had any relationship with the deaths due to unknown intent or causes. Results Our analysis indicates that mortality rates due to unknown intent or causes were uncorrelated with suicide rates and the above socioeconomic indicators. Conclusions In Japan, the frequency of suicides has no systematic relationship with deaths due to unknown intent or causes, suggesting the accuracy of suicide statistics.

Divorce in post-epidemic society: reasons and consequences

The article is devoted to the study of the main trends in divorce rates in three subjects of the Russian Federation (Moscow, Saratov and Chelyabinsk regions) over the last decade, considering a number of socio-demographic indicators: gender, age, marriage’s duration, number of children and place of residence. The main tools for collecting data are the method of statistical analysis of marital and family indicators in studied regions for the period from 2011 to 2019; secondary analysis of the research results of domestic and foreign scientists and a survey which was attended by persons aged 18-69 (n = 928). The sample is stratified by sex, age, place of residence. The study found that the initiator of divorce in most cases is a woman. The main reasons for divorce in all studied subjects of Russia are the violation of interpersonal relations, economic and social. The pandemic of COVID-19 has had a negative impact on marriage and family relations, aggravating socio-demographic problems, both in Russia and in most countries of the world.