Harbingers of Hope: Scientists and the Pursuit of World Peace.

The ongoing wars in many regions-such as the conflict between Israel and Hamas-as well as the effects of war on communities, social services, and mental health are covered in this special editorial. This article emphasizes the need for international efforts to promote peace, offer humanitarian aid, and address the mental health challenges faced by individuals and communities affected by war and violence.

"The Mole on His Penis Lassos Her:" Cultural Understandings of Coercive Control and Emotional Abuse of Women in Cambodia.

Throughout world history, moles and birthmarks have occupied a special place as omens. Little is known of the cultural beliefs concerning the determinants of coercive control. In this ethnographic study of coercive control in Cambodia, the focus is on popular beliefs that moles are omens portending that men shall control women.

Reconsidering the Unwanted Sexual Touching of Boys by Adults: An Ethnographic Study in Rural Cambodia.

The unwanted sexual touching of boys by adults is a form of child sexual abuse. However, the genital touching of boys may be culturally "normal," with not all instances necessarily being "unwanted" or "sexual." This study, set in Cambodia, explored the genital touching of boys and the local cultural constructions of it.

"His body is human, but he has a tiracchāna heart": An ethnographic study of the epigenesis of child abuse in Cambodia.

In Cambodia, more than half of all children experience physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. This article examines how Cambodians view the causes and effects of child abuse and analyses its underlying cultural forces. Adopting a conceptual framework originally developed for the cultural context of violence against women, 110 cases of child abuse were ethnographically studied, comprising 61 cases of sexual abuse (50 girls and 11 boys), 26 cases of physical abuse (13 girls and 13 boys), and 23 cases of emotional abuse or neglect (13 girls and 10 boys).

Putting the Spirit into Culturally Responsive Public Health: Explaining Mass Fainting in Cambodia.

The study explores the cultural and religious meaning behind episodes of mass fainting sweeping through garment factories in Cambodia. An ethnographic study was conducted at 20 garment factories in Kandal, Preah Sihanouk, Kampong Cham, Kampong Speu, Takeo, and Kampong Chhnang provinces. Informants were 50 women who fainted or possessed and their families, factory and clinic staff, and monks.

Traumatic exposure, acculturative stress and cultural orientation: the influence on PTSD, depressive and anxiety symptoms among refugees.

Objective: Acculturation studies conducted with refugees have predominantly concentrated on investigating the impact of acculturative stress on mental health, and have neglected to investigate the impact of cultural orientations towards the host and ethnic cultures. Furthermore, exposure to traumas is highly prevalent in refugees and strongly associated with mental health outcomes, however, rarely included in investigations of acculturative process of refugees.

Method: Using structural equation modelling, this study tested an integrated model of the relationship between traumatic exposure, acculturative stress, host and ethnic cultural orientations and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety symptoms among 138 Bosnian refugees resettled in Australia and Austria.

Violence Against Women in Cambodia: Towards a Culturally Responsive Theory of Change.

Almost one in four women in Cambodia is a victim of physical, emotional or sexual violence. This article brings together two seldom connected fields: Theory of Change (ToC) and cultural responsiveness in international development. It applies these approaches to a priority in global health, which is to prevent violence against women (VAW) and, drawing on my research on the epigenesis of VAW in Cambodia, develops an argument on the need for interventions to work with tradition and culture rather than only highlight it in problematic terms.

The Cultural Epigenesis of Gender-Based Violence in Cambodia: Local and Buddhist Perspectives.

Almost one in four women in Cambodia is a victim of physical, emotional or sexual violence. The study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which Cambodians see its causes and effects and to identify and analyse the cultural forces that underpin and shape its landscape. An ethnographic study was carried out with 102 perpetrators and survivors of emotional, physical and sexual violence against women and 228 key informants from the Buddhist and healing sectors.

Mass fainting in garment factories in Cambodia.

This paper reports an ethnographic study of mass fainting among garment factory workers in Cambodia. Research was undertaken in 2010-2015 in 48 factories in Phnom Penh and 8 provinces. Data were collected in Khmer using nonprobability sampling.

Migrant health in cancer: outcome disparities and the determinant role of migrant-specific variables.

Background: Multiethnic societies face challenges in delivering evidence-based culturally competent health care. This study compared health-related quality of life and psychological morbidity in a hospital-based sample of first-generation migrants and Australian-born Anglo cancer patients, controlling for potential confounders related to migrant status. Further, it explored the relative contribution of ethnicity versus migrant-related variables.

Fluphenazine decanoate (depot) and enanthate for schizophrenia.

Background: Intramuscular injections (depot preparations) offer an advantage over oral medication for treating schizophrenia by reducing poor compliance. The benefits gained by long-acting preparations, however, may be offset by a higher incidence of adverse effects.

Objectives: To assess the effects of fluphenazine decanoate and enanthate versus oral anti-psychotics and other depot neuroleptic preparations for individuals with schizophrenia in terms of clinical, social and economic outcomes.

Assessing the invariance of a culturally competent multi-lingual unmet needs survey for immigrant and Australian-born cancer patients: a Rasch analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the invariance of a culturally competent multi-lingual unmet needs survey.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among immigrants of Arabic-, Chinese- and Greek-speaking backgrounds, and Anglo-Australian-born controls, recruited through Cancer Registries (n = 591) and oncology clinics (n = 900). The survey included four subscales, with newly developed items addressing unmet need in culturally competent health information and patient support (CCHIPS), and items adapted from existing questionnaires addressing physical and daily living (PDL), sexuality (SEX) and survivorship (SURV) unmet need.

Immigrants' perceptions of the quality of their cancer care: an Australian comparative study, identifying potentially modifiable factors.

Background: Recent data show a falling cancer mortality in the general population without a similar shift in immigrant outcomes, leading to a greater cancer burden and mortality for immigrants. Our aims were to compare perceived patterns of care in immigrants and native-born cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: This was a hospital-based sample of first-generation immigrants and Australian-born Anglo patients in the first year following diagnosis.

Unmet needs in immigrant cancer survivors: a cross-sectional population-based study.

Purpose: Social suffering, language difficulties, and cultural factors may all make the cancer experience more difficult for immigrants. This study aimed to document unmet needs, and variables associated with these, in a population-based sample of first-generation immigrants and Anglo-Australians who had survived cancer.

Methods: Participants were recruited via Australian cancer registries.

Should culture affect practice? A comparison of prognostic discussions in consultations with immigrant versus native-born cancer patients.

Objective: Poor prognosis is difficult to impart, particularly across a cultural divide. This study compared prognostic communication with immigrants (with and without interpreters) versus native-born patients in audio-taped oncology consultations.

Methods: Ten oncologists, 78 patients (31 Australian-born, 47 immigrants) and 115 family members participated.

Inferior health-related quality of life and psychological well-being in immigrant cancer survivors: a population-based study.

This study compared health-related quality of life (QOL) and psychological morbidity in a population-based sample of first generation immigrant and Anglo-Australian cancer survivors. Eligible participants, recruited via three State Cancer Registries, included those: with a new diagnosis of one of 12 most incident cancers (all stages) 1-6years earlier; aged 18-80 at diagnosis; born in a Chinese, Arabic, or Greek speaking country and able to speak one of these languages. A random sample of English-speaking Anglo-Australian-born controls frequency matched for cancer diagnosis was recruited.

Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of Arabic-Australians concerning cancer.

Objectives: To explore with Arabic-Australian patients and their communities, the cultural context of cancer, both sporadic and inherited, by examining their beliefs about its causes and the modes of communication about cancer with family, friends and the community.

Method: The design is an ethnographic and qualitative interview study with thematic analysis. Arabic-Australian participants were recruited in two stages.

Interpretation in consultations with immigrant patients with cancer: how accurate is it?

Purpose: Immigrants with cancer often have professional and/or family interpreters to overcome challenges communicating with their health team. This study explored the rate and consequences of nonequivalent interpretation in medical oncology consultations.

Patients And Methods: Consecutive immigrant patients with newly diagnosed with incurable cancer, who spoke Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, or Greek, were recruited from the practices of 10 medical oncologists in nine hospitals.

Grappling with cultural differences; communication between oncologists and immigrant cancer patients with and without interpreters.

Objective: Immigrants report challenges communicating with their health team. This study compared oncology consultations of immigrants with and without interpreters vs Anglo-Australian patients.

Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed incurable cancer who had immigrated from Arabic, Chinese or Greek speaking countries or were Anglo-Australian, and family members, were recruited from 10 medical oncologists in 9 hospitals.

Prognostic communication preferences of migrant patients and their relatives.

Objectives: Migrant patients comprise a significant proportion of Western oncologists' clientele. Although previous research has found that barriers exist in the communication between ethnically diverse patients and health professionals, little is known about their personal preferences for communication and information, or the concordance of views held between patients and family members.

Methods: Seventy-three patients (31 Anglo-Australians, and 20 Chinese, 11 Arabic and 11 Greek migrants) and 65 relatives (25 Anglo-Australians, and 23 Chinese, 11 Arabic and 7 Greek migrants) were recruited through nine Sydney oncology clinics.

A bridge between cultures: interpreters' perspectives of consultations with migrant oncology patients.

Background: Migration is increasing worldwide. In previous research into people with cancer from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, interpreter accuracy, professionalism and continuity have emerged as key concerns for patients. Little is known about interpreters' perceptions of their role and the challenges they face.

A review of the cultural competence view of cardiac rehabilitation.

Aims And Objectives: This paper describes cultural competence issues within the scientific and scholarly discourse surrounding cardiac rehabilitation (CR).

Background: CR is an important secondary prevention strategy, improving health-related outcomes and reducing the risks of subsequent cardiovascular events. Internationally, it is widely accepted as a discrete health service model and is endorsed by government and professional bodies.

From inside the bubble: migrants' perceptions of communication with the cancer team.

Purpose: Migrants with cancer struggle to communicate with their health care team. This study aimed to identify health-care related unmet needs and communication issues for migrants who develop cancer and factors associated with these challenges. In this paper, the findings related to communication issues are presented.

A qualitative study of barriers to mental health services utilisation among migrants from mainland China in south-east Sydney.

Background: Chinese-language speakers comprise the largest non-English speaking population in Australia but they have among the lowest rates of mental health services utilisation.

Material: A bilingual (Mandarin/English) researcher conducted in-depth interviews with China-born mental health patients and members of the general community, and mental health service providers.

Discussion: Participants identified several factors that limit access to mental healthcare as well as the quality of care received: mental health literacy, communication difficulties, stigma, confidentiality concerns, service constraints and discrimination.

Cross-cultural validation of the DMI-10 measure of state depression: the development of a Chinese language version.

Depression measurement tools in cross-cultural research require careful design and thorough validation to ensure that cognitive concepts in one culture can be appropriately translated and applied to a differing culture. The aim of this study was to validate the Chinese version of a screening measure of state depression, the 10-item Depression in Medically Ill (DMI-10), and we report three interdependent studies. An initial bilingual test-retest study identified four (of the 10) items as having poor cross-cultural validity.