"Simply to be let in": inclusion as a basis for recovery.

This article takes its inspiration from a poem by Borges, in which the author makes a plea to simply be "let in" without being wondered at or required to succeed. Based on the view that these issues have applied historically to people with mental illnesses--first during the period of the asylum, and now more recently as a result of deinstitutionalization--this article argues for the adoption of a broad conceptual framework of inclusion that, based on a disability paradigm, neither alienates or requires people to succeed. First, the ways in which such a framework augments existing approaches to treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery are outlined. Next, the authors describe the three elements of friendship, reciprocity, and hopefulness as aspects of inclusion that may provide a foundation for efforts toward recovery, and illustrate each of these elements through the stories of participants in a supported socialization program. Implications for future research and policy are suggested based on these data.

Childhood attachment and abuse: long-term effects on adult attachment, depression, and conflict resolution.

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim was to determine the relative contributions of early attachment and abuse history to adult attachment, depression, and conflict resolution behaviors. Differences between abused and nonabused respondents were also assessed. METHOD: A multi-scale questionnaire was completed by 879 college students. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to answer the primary research question, and analyses also compared the 26.4% of respondents who reported childhood abuse with those who did not. RESULTS: Respondents who indicated they had been abused as children reported less secure childhood and adult relationships than their nonabused counterparts. They were also more depressed and more likely to use destructive behaviors in conflict situations. Although both adult romantic attachment and respondents' depression scores were best accounted for by childhood attachment to mother and father rather than abuse history, the opposite pattern of results emerged for conflict resolution behaviors. In this case, abuse history was the stronger predictor, and parental attachment did not account for any significant additional variance. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that the long-term impact of childhood abuse may be mediated by early attachment experiences, whereas the long-term impact of abuse on conflict resolution behaviors may be considerably more direct.