The creation, implementation, and ratification of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), as well as the growth of parallel private initiatives against human trafficking, have emerged from a neoliberal political agenda that focuses on redefinitions of labor, sexuality, securitization of humanitarian campaigns, and immigration policies. In this thesis, I explore some of the meanings and effects of those redefinitions by focusing on the affective registers of pity and panic in their ability to mobilize publics toward restrictive forms of assistance to real and imaginary victims of the so-called phenomenon of “modern-day slavery.”

Much empirical evidence attests to a strong relationship between the panic-related disorders and alcoholism. Recent data suggest that anxiety sensitivity (fear of anxiety) may be one common underlying vailable contributing to the large degree of overlap between the panic-related disorders and alcoholism. In fact, some data indicate that the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and alcohol misuse may be particularly strong in women, a group which is generally underrepresented in the alcoholism etiology literature. Research described in this thesis was conducted with the aim of further elucidating the nature of the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and alcohol use/abuse in young adult women. The series of seven experiments included in this thesis demonstrated that: (1) high levels of anxiety sensitivity are characteristic of subjects meeting diagnostic criteria for panic disorder, an anxiety disorder frequently associated with alcohol abuse; (2) female university students demonstrate significantly higher average levels of anxiety sensitivity than male university students; (3) anxiety sensitivity is an important predictor of self-reported rates of alcohol consumption in university women; (4) high anxiety sensitive university students are both more likely to report drinking alcohol primarily to "cope" with negative emotional states, and less likely to report drinking alcohol primarily for social-affiliative motives, than are low anxiety sensitive university students; (5) high anxiety sensitive women display greater degrees of sober subjective-emotional arousal when anticipating aversive stimulation, greater degrees of sober electrodermal reactivity to the aversive stimulation, and greater sensitivity to the dampening effects of alcohol on these measures of reactivity, than low anxiety sensitive controls; (6) high anxiety sensitive women show a sober attentional bias favoring the processing of physically threatening information, which is dampened through th

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / The purpose of this thesis was to investigate relationships between treatment knowledge, beliefs and outcome in Panic Disorder and/or Agoraphobia (Panic-Ag). Research from the psychotherapy and medical literature indicates patients’ treatment knowledge and beliefs, specifically acceptance of the treatment rationale (ATR), expectancies of treatment outcome (ETO) and treatment self-efficacy (TSE), are associated with clinical outcomes for a range of disorders. However, methodological limitations surrounding measurement of these constructs have undermined conclusions and/or such relationships have not been investigated in the field of Panic-Ag. Relationships between treatment knowledge, beliefs and outcome in Panic-Ag were examined using a 2 phase procedure. Phase 1 involved developing measures of treatment knowledge, ATR, ETO and TSE using patient and clinician samples. The psychometric properties of these measures were found to be satisfactory. Phase 2 investigated associations between treatment knowledge, beliefs and outcome following cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) among 41 Panic-Ag participants. Measures were administered at pretreatment and 6-months posttreatment. It was hypothesised that treatment knowledge, ATR, ETO and TSE would be related to outcome, with associations mediated by belief in catastrophic cognitions. Of 4 Panic- Ag outcome measures (panic attack frequency, panic sensation severity, frequency of catastrophic cognitions and agoraphobic avoidance), results indicated improved treatment knowledge was significantly associated with frequency of catastrophic cognitions and agoraphobic avoidance. Posttreatment TSE was significantly associated with panic attack sensation severity, frequency of catastrophic cognitions and agoraphobic avoidance. Contrary to the hypothesis, ATR was not related to outcome. Similar findings concerning TSE and ATR were obtained in an independent sample of 34 Panic-Ag participants. Exploratory analyses found that pretreatment beliefs including outcome expectancies were unrelated to outcome. Mediational analyses revealed relationships between TSE and outcome were partially mediated by belief in catastrophic cognitions while relationships between treatment knowledge and outcome were not. Results are discussed in light of previous research, methodological limitations, clinical implications and future research directions.

Thesis (M.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Botany, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 62-64).

Pain and traumatic stress symptoms occur immediately after injury caused by a traumatic event, severities of acute symptoms are associated with risk of development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain following injury. Deficits in fear-associated learning may contribute to the development of these disorders. A fear associated learning task (FALT) has revealed altered brain activations in patients with PTSD and chronic pain; however, FALT brain activations have not been studied in the early post-trauma period. This study examined FALT brain activation within weeks after traumatic injury to investigate this issue. Within 2 weeks after a traumatic injury, 51 trauma survivors underwent a FALT, comprised of acquisition, extinction, and extinction recall phases during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Symptoms were assessed with the PTSD Check List (PCL), Acute Stress Disorder Questionnaire (ASDQ), Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale (PASS20), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and the National Pain Score (NPS). Contrast between conditioned stimuli that were (CS+) or were not (CS-) paired with an aversive stimulus revealed activations in the medial-prefrontal (mPFC)/dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC), right insula, and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (dlPFC) during acquisition; bilateral sensorimotor, right dlPFC and superior lateral-occipital/superior parietal cortices during extinction; left insular and right lateral occipital cortices during recall. Negative correlations were significant between mPFC/dACC activation during acquisition and both PASS20 and PCS scores. The results suggest emotion regulatory regions are associated with pain stress symptoms within weeks following trauma. These deficits may contribute to development of symptoms of both PTSD and chronic pain. Further studies will examine the relationships between FALT activations and other symptoms.

In June 2010 an urban fox (Vulpes vulpes) attacked twin baby girls in their bedroom in Hackney, East London. The story made national newspaper headlines for weeks to follow and elicited commentary from concerned city-dwellers, pest controllers, foxhunters, politicians, scientists and animal protectionists. Many considered urban foxes a growing menace, branding them overabundant, out of place and more aggressive than their rural counterparts. Hunters pointed to the ban on hunting with dogs as a possible cause of a supposed explosion in the urban fox population and as a manifestation of urban ignorance regarding wildlife management. Others defended the foxes' place in the city and warned against knee-jerk reactions to one-off incidents. However, the response from many public and political figures to media reports of fox attacks was to call for urgent action on what is ostensibly a problem of animal behaviour. This thesis examines the urban fox attack phenomenon as a form of moral panic. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of a large sample of tabloid and broadsheet national newspaper articles, as well as a selection of television documentaries, pest control industry publications and lobby group materials spanning five years (2009–2014), is used to track the emergence and development of this moral panic and to examine how it is tied to anxieties surrounding not only human/animal relations in urban space, but also human social conflict more widely. In so doing, the thesis contributes a new perspective to the study of moral panics by reflecting on the implications for moral panic theory of ‘bringing animals in’.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:29:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-12-17Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:35:26Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 hoshina_hy_me_assis.pdf: 470475 bytes, checksum: ec500b00f24f41e6bd076492ad0a9075 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A constituição da civilização e da cultura tem sido alvo de estudos e hipotetizações durante muitos anos. A discussão na Psicanálise foi pautada, principalmente, pelo conflito existente entre a liberdade pulsional humana e as restrições que a convivência em conjunto impõem. Este impasse, portanto, marca a principal discussão acerca da angústia social que se observa na civilização. Atualmente, dadas as novas características encontradas na sociedade contemporânea, a discussão alcança um novo patamar. Neste sentido, o desamparo é posto como novo pilar dentro do estudo da angústia social atual. Isto porque o projeto proposto pela modernidade, em que o homem é posto como medida de todas as relações do mundo, lançouo em um movimento de ruptura com todas as tradições e costumes que até então amparavam seus atos. Dessa forma, este trabalho procura compreender a noção de desamparo da Psicanálise, assim como sua influência na estruturação social e cultural da humanidade. Para tanto, após revisão bibliográfica, realiza-se uma análise, tendo como foco o desamparo, de diferentes obras psicanalíticas que retratam épocas diferentes do desenvolvimento civilizatório. Por fim, após estas análises, compreendemos que o desamparo não constitui algo negativo dentro do desenvolvimento da cultura. O desamparo constitui, desse modo, a possibilidade de reconhecimento da falta, da incompletude de sua existência e que, portanto, possibilita ao homem lançar-se em direção à representações que possam preencher o espaço deixado vazio pelo objeto perdido. Assim, o desamparo demonstra sua importância não somente no que tange ao desenvolvimento do instinto gregário, tão essencial para uma civilização, como para a constituição do circuito pulsional. Enfim, concluímos que o desamparo... / The constitution of the civilization and the culture has been issue of studies and hypotheticals for many years. The discussion in Psychoanalysis were ruled, mainly, by the conflict existent between the freedom instinct and the restrictions that the living together imposes. This impasse, therefore, brands the main discussion about the social anguish that can be observed in civilization. Nowadays, because of the new characteristics found in the contemporary society, the discussion gains a new landing. So far, the abandon is placed as the new pillar in the current social anguish study. Since the project proposed by the modernity in which the man is placed as measure of all world’s relations, put him in a rupture movement with all traditions and customs that, so far, sheltered his acts. In this way, this work tries to understand the abandon notion inside the Psychoanalysis as well as its influence in the humankind social and cultural structure. For this, after bibliographic review, we have made an analysis, having as focus the abandon, of different psychoanalytical works that retracts different periods of the civilization development. Finally, after these analyses, we comprehended that the abandon does not constitute something negative in the culture development. The abandon constitutes, in this way, the possibility to recognize the absence, the incompleteness of its existence and thus, enables the man to throw himself in the direction of the representations that can fulfill the empty space left by the lost object. Thus, the abandon demonstrates its importance not only to what regards to the development of the gregarious instinct, so essential to a civilization, but also in the constitution... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

My thesis explores the disabling condition agoraphobia with panic disorder across the life spans of three individuals who are related: 63 year old Grandmother, her daughter - 43 year old Mother, and her grandson - 23 year old Son. As their life stories are told, glimpses of experienced stigma, emotional management, creation of identities, and coping mechanisms are revealed. These are analyzed using the sociological theories of Goffman, Ellis, Cahill, and Davidson. The notion of nature versus nurture is most apparent in Son's story which details the effects of growing up with Grandmother's severe agoraphobic episodes. While each individual does have similarities in their experience of this disorder, nevertheless they each cope and manage in very different ways. I begin by offering a quick look at my own experience with the disorder. I then provide a definition of agoraphobia with panic disorder, its etiology and risk factors. I discuss the prevalence of the disorder and how it affects the individuals' quality of life. I present Grandmother, Mother and Son's life stories followed by an analysis of their experienced stigma, emotion management, and coping mechanisms. Of particular interest, is Son's life story followed by his personal depiction of the evolution of his anxiety, his theory concerning causes, and his methods of control. My methodology was selected, first, because Priestly (2003) suggests taking the life span approach is of vital importance when studying a disability. Second, while many assertions have been made about what influences the onset of this disorder; little is known about what the individuals actually experience and how it affects their emotions and social interactions. The use of qualitative methodology allows for a more in-depth understanding of these individuals' thoughts, perceptions, and emotional reactions to their illness and interactions that cannot be known through quantitative methods. In addition, this may provide us with the tools to create successful interventions that will lessen the discomfort of the individuals and will also allow us to find ways to reduce the harm inflicted by society while adding knowledge about the social and emotional experience of this disabling illness.

Orientador: Albina Rodrigues Torres / Coorientador: Ana Teresa de Abreu Ramos Cerqueira / Banca: Flávia Helena Pereira Padovani / Banca: Flávia de Lima Osório / Resumo: Introdução: Várias são as razões pelas quais familiares de portadores de transtornos mentais podem sentir sobrecarga e sofrimento. Os pacientes podem apresentar comportamentos problemáticos e incapacidades, que geram dependência e impacto negativo na vida dos familiares, principalmente os cuidadores. Foram realizados vários estudos para medir esse impacto, mas principalmente em transtornos mentais mais graves, como esquizofrenia e demências. Já foi encontrada também sobrecarga relevante em familiares de pacientes com transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo, mas não há na literatura estudos sobre sobrecarga e sofrimento psíquico em familiares cuidadores de pacientes com transtorno de pânico e agorafobia (TPA). O TPA se caracteriza por crises intensas, inesperadas e recorrentes de ansiedade, associadas à ansiedade antecipatória e vários comportamentos de esquiva, por medo de ter novas crises em diversos locais e situações. Assim, em geral essas pessoas se tornam dependentes de algum familiar para realizar suas atividades da vida diária. Objetivos: Estimar a prevalência e a gravidade de sobrecarga e sofrimento psíquico (transtorno mental comum - TMC) em familiares de pacientes com TPA, assim como avaliar a associação de fatores demográficos e clínicos com estes dois desfechos. Método: Estudo transversal, com amostra clínica de adultos portadores de TPA (critérios do DSM-IV), em tratamento numa clínica privada de Bauru e no Ambulatório de Transtornos Ansiosos e Obsessivo-Compulsivos (ATAOC) do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu - UNESP de janeiro de 2011 a outubro de 2013. Os instrumentos de avaliação do cuidador foram: um questionário sobre dados sociodemográficos, a Carer Burden Interview (CBI), a Escala de Avaliação da Sobrecarga dos Familiares (FIBS-BR) e o Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ). Os instrumentos de avaliação dos pacientes foram: um questionário para avaliar características ... / Abstract: Introduction: There are many reasons for family members of patients with mental disorders to suffer and feel burdened. Psychiatric patients may present inappropriate behaviors and functional impairments, becoming dependent on others. This situation can have a negative impact on the lives of family members, especially the caregivers. There are several studies to measure this impact on caregivers, but they are mainly about major mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and dementia. High levels of family burden were also observed among Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) caregivers, but there are no studies on family burden and distress among Panic-Agoraphobic Disorder (PAD) caregivers. The main PAD features are: intense, unexpected and recurrent panic attacks in association with anticipatory anxiety and avoidance of places and/or situations due to fear of having another panic attack. So, in general, the patients become dependent upon family members for assistance in daily life activities. Objective: To estimate the prevalence and severity of the burden and psychological suffering (common mental disorder - CMD) in family members of patients with PAD. Method: It is a cross-sectional study, with a clinical sample of adults with PAD diagnosis (DSM-IV criteria), receiving treatment from a private clinic in Bauru and also at an outpatient service ("Ambulatório de Transtornos Ansiosos e Obsessivo-Compulsivos"- ATAOC) of the Botucatu Medical School (UNESP), State of São Paulo -Brazil, between January 2011 and October 2013. The assessment instruments used to evaluate the caregivers were: a questionnaire with sociodemographic data, the Carer Burden Interview (CBI), the Brazilian version of the Family Burden Interview Scale (FIBS-BR) and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ). The instruments to assess the patients were: a questionnaire with sociodemographic and clinical data, the Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS) to evaluate the severity of ... / Mestre

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