Complex post-traumatic stress disorder and post-migration living difficulties in traumatised refugees and asylum seekers: the role of language acquisition and barriers.

Background: Numerous traumatic experiences and post-migration living difficulties (PMLDs) increase the risk of developing symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) among Afghan refugees and asylum seekers, living in Austria. Research has repeatedly associated higher levels of CPTSD with higher levels of PMLDs. Summarizing PMLDs into empirically derived factors might facilitate a further understanding of their interaction with symptom presentation within distinct clusters of CPTSD. Objective: The current study aimed to investigate homogeneous subgroups of ICD-11 CPTSD and their association with demographic variables, traumatic experiences, and empirically derived factors of PMLDs. Method: Within a randomized controlled trail (RCT) CPTSD, PMLDs, and traumatic experiences were assessed in a sample of 93 treatment-seeking Afghan refugees and asylum seekers through a fully structured face-to-face and interpreter-assisted interview using the ITQ, the PMLDC, and a trauma checklist. Underlying clusters of CPTSD, superior factors of PMLDs, and their associations were investigated. Results: In total, 19.4% of the sample met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and 49.5% for CPTSD. We identified a 2-cluster solution consisting of two distinct subgroups as best fitting: (1) a CPTSD cluster and (2) a PTSD cluster. The multitude of PMLDs was summarized into four superior factors. CPTSD cluster membership was associated with childhood potentially traumatic experience types, and one of four PMLD factors, namely 'language acquisition & barriers'. Conclusions: The results suggest that not PMLDs in general, but rather specific types of PMLDs, are associated with CPTSD. An assumed bidirectional relationship between these PMLD factors and CPTSD symptoms might lead to a downward spiral of increasing distress, and could be considered in treatment strategies.

Antecedentes: Numerosas experiencias traumáticas y dificultades de vida post-migración (DVPM) aumentan el riesgo de desarrollar síntomas de trastorno de estrés postraumático complejo (TEPT-C) entre los refugiados y solicitantes de asilo afganos que viven en Austria. La investigación ha asociado repetidamente niveles más altos de TEPT-C con niveles más altos de DVPM. Resumir las DVPM en factores derivados empíricamente podría facilitar una mayor comprensión de su interacción con la presentación de síntomas dentro de distintos grupos de TEPT-C.Objetivo: El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo investigar subgrupos homogéneos de TEPT-C según la CIE-11 y su asociación con variables demográficas, experiencias traumáticas y factores derivados empíricamente de DVPM.Método: Dentro de un estudio controlado aleatorizado (ECA), se evaluaron TEPT-C, DVPM y experiencias traumáticas en una muestra de 93 pacientes, refugiados afganos y solicitantes de asilo, a través de una entrevista cara a cara totalmente estructurada y asistida por un intérprete utilizando el ITQ, el PMLDC y una lista de verificación de traumas. Se investigaron los grupos subyacentes de TEPT-C, los factores superiores de DVPM y sus asociaciones.Resultados: En total, el 19,4% de la muestra cumplió los criterios de diagnóstico de TEPT y el 49,5% de TEPT-C. Identificamos 2 grupos que constan de dos subgrupos distintos: (1) un grupo de TEPTC y (2) un grupo de TEPT. Las distintas DVPM se resumieron en cuatro factores superiores. La pertenencia al grupo de TEPT-C se asoció con tipos de experiencias potencialmente traumáticas en la infancia y uno de los cuatro factores de DVPM, denominada, 'adquisición y barreras del lenguaje'.Conclusiones: Los resultados sugieren que no las DVPM en general, sino los tipos específicos de DVPM, están asociados con el TEPT-C. Una supuesta relación bidireccional entre estos factores de DVPM y los síntomas de TEPT-C podría conducir a una espiral de angustia creciente, y podría considerarse en las estrategias de tratamiento.

Health determinants among refugees in Austria and Germany: A propensity-matched comparative study for Syrian, Afghan, and Iraqi refugees.

In recent years, Germany and Austria have been among the leading European receiving countries for asylum seekers and refugees (AS&R). The two countries have cultural and economic similarities, but differ, for example, in their health care systems, with AS&R having unrestricted access to health services upon arrival in Austria, but not in Germany. This study investigates the determinants of health among refugees in Austria and Germany, and how these determinants differ between the two countries. We analyze comparable and harmonized survey data from both countries for Syrian, Afghan, and Iraqi nationals aged 18 to 59 years who had immigrated between 2013 and 2016 (Germany: n = 2,854; Austria: n = 374). The study adopts a cross-sectional design, and uses propensity score matching to examine comparable AS&R in the two receiving countries. The results reveal that the AS&R in Germany (72%) were significantly less likely to report being in (very) good health than their peers in Austria (89%). Age and education had large impacts on health, whereas the effects of length of stay and length of asylum process were smaller. Compositional differences in terms of age, sex, nationality, education, and partnership situation explained the country differences only in part. After applying propensity score matching to adjust for structural differences and to assess non-confounded country effects, the probability of reporting (very) good health was still 12 percentage points lower in Germany than in Austria. We conclude that many of the determinants of health among AS&R correspond to those in the non-migrant population, and thus call for the implementation of similar health policies. The health disadvantage found among the AS&R in Germany suggests that removing their initially restricted access to health care may improve their health.

Sleep during COVID-19 lockdown: A cross-cultural study investigating job system relevance.

Our study aimed to assess the change in the sleep patterns during the Coronavirus lockdown in five regions (Austria/Germany, Ukraine, Greece, Cuba and Brazil), using online surveys, translated in each language. Part of the cohort (age 25-65, well-educated) was collected directly during lockdown, to which retrospective cross-sectional data from and after lockdown (retrospective) questionnaires were added. We investigated sleep times and sleep quality changes from before to during lockdown and found that, during lockdown, participants had (i) worse perceived sleep quality if worried by COVID-19, (ii) a shift of bedtimes to later hours during workdays, and (iii) a sleep loss on free days (resulting from more overall sleep during workdays in non-system relevant jobs), leading to (iv) a marked reduction of social jetlag across all cultures. For further analyses we directly compared system relevant and system irrelevant jobs, because it was assumed that the nature of the lockdown's consequences is dependent upon system relevance. System relevant jobs were found to have earlier wake-up times as well as shorter total sleep times on workdays, leading to higher social jetlag for people in system relevant jobs. Cultural differences revealed a general effect that participants from Greece and Ukraine had later bedtimes (on both work and free days) and wake-up times (on workdays) than Cuba, Brazil and Austria, irrespective of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

First exercise group for Turkish breast cancer patients in Vienna - a pilot project to include Turkish migrants.

Background: The aim of this pilot study was to describe the acceptance and feasibility of an exercise intervention in breast cancer patients of Turkish origin in Austria by using a hand-held swinging-ring system.Methods: The inclusion period lasted 1 year (1 February 2016-31 January 2017). In a multicentre cooperation, Turkish female breast cancer patients were included by using face-to-face information, email, facebook®, phone, and notice boards. The exercise program consisted of 1) supervised and 2) home-based exercise by using the smovey® vibroswing system. Feasibility and acceptance were assessed by using the Austrian school grading system and a qualitative approach after 3 months. Furthermore, the six-minute walk test (6MWT), handgrip strength, body composition (BIA), and health-related quality of life (QOL) were assessed at baseline (T0) and after 3 months (T1).Results: Only 5 breast cancer patients could be included, from whom one dropped out due to breast cancer recurrence. The exercise intervention showed no side effects and was well accepted by all 4 patients. Furthermore, results of the 6MWT, handgrip strength, BIA, and QOL improved.Conclusion: These results indicate notable barriers towards regular physical activity in female Turkish breast cancer patients in Austria. Four out of five of those involved were comfortable with the intervention. Therefore, it seems to be essential to further address these barriers in order to plan and implement effective interventions.Implications for RehabilitationExercise is an effective means of improving health and quality of life experienced by female patients suffering from breast cancer.Although extensive efforts were taken only a minority of Turkish female patients attended a structured exercise program.It seems to be essential to further address barriers to exercise in order to plan and implement effective interventions.

[Migration and diabetes (Update 2019)]. / Migration und Diabetes (Update 2019).

The article deals with the demographic data of migration in Austria and with therapeutic advice concerning drug therapy and diabetes education for patients with migration background. In this context sociocultural specifics are discussed. These suggestions are seen complementary to the general treatment guidelines of the Austrian Diabetes Association.The fasting month Ramadan is widely practiced by the Muslim population worldwide. Ensuring the optimal care of the many people with diabetes who fast during Ramadan is crucial. The IDF-DAR Practical Guidelines (International Diabetes Federation - Diabetes and Ramadan International Alliance) provide healthcare professionals with relevant background information and practical recommendations to enable them to help patients with diabetes participate in fasting during Ramadan while minimizing the risk of complications.

The universal and automatic association between brightness and positivity.

The present study investigates the hypothesis that brightness of colors is associated with positivity, postulating that this is an automatic and universal effect. The Implicit Association Test (IAT; Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998) was used in all studies. Study 1 used color patches varying on brightness, Study 2 used achromatic stimuli to eliminate the potential confounding effects of hue and saturation. Study 3 replicated Study 2 in a different cultural context (Japan vs. Austria), both studies also included a measure of explicit association. All studies confirmed the hypothesis that brightness is associated with positivity, at a significance level of p < .001 and Cohen's D varying from 0.90 to 3.99. Study 1-3 provided support for the notion that this is an automatic effect. Additionally, Study 2 and Study 3 showed that people also have an explicit association of brightness with positivity. However, as expected, our results also show that the implicit association was stronger than the explicit association. Study 3 shows clear support for the universality of our effects. In sum, our results support the idea that brightness is associated with positivity and that these associations are automatic and universal.

Difficulties in health care for female Turkish immigrants with type 2 diabetes: a qualitative study in Vienna.

According to studies, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DMT2) is more commonly encountered among Turkish immigrants than resident populations in Europe and Turkish people living in Turkey. Within this context this study focused on female Turkish immigrants with DMT2 who are living in Vienna. The purpose of this study was to determine the needs, expectations, special conditions and cultural characteristics of Turkish women with DMT2 by gathering information about their own perceptions about DMT2, difficulties encountered during the diagnosis, treatment and their experiences living with the disease. A qualitative phenomenological design was utilized with a sample of 13 participants recruited from the Turkish mosques in Vienna. The interview guide, which included semi-structured questions, was based on previous studies conducted on DMT2 and immigration. Interviews were transcribed verbally from tape recordings, translated into German and each statement paraphrased for further analysis. The interviews indicated participants' degree of knowledge about DMT2 and was the most significant factor affecting approaches to the disease. The most important difficulty for the participants was the re-organization of nutritional habits to DMT2 because of the Turkish cuisine culture. The results of this study can be utilized by the health care providers to gain an understanding of Turkish immigrants and DMT2. Thus, it will enable them to adapt their health care and education to meet the needs of this population better.

Spousal concordance in the use of alternative tobacco products: A multi-country investigation.

BACKGROUND: Married couples often share similar health-related characteristics and behaviors, including cigarette smoking status. Despite their rising popularity in the U.S., little research has examined the patterns of spousal concordance (SC) for alternative tobacco products (ATPs), such as e-cigarettes, cigars, and hookah. METHODS: The purpose of this project was to examine the roles of age, gender, and culture in the strength of SC for these ATPs. Analyses focused on a diverse community sample of married individuals in Ohio, U.S. (N=278), but also examined patterns in Austria, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands, and Slovakia. All participants completed a survey in which they indicated both their own, and their spouse's ever-use of various tobacco products. RESULTS: For the U.S. sample, SC was highest for e-cigarettes, flavored e-cigarettes, flavored cigarettes, and hookah (ϕs=0.48- 0.61); SC appeared to be stronger among younger couples, and when there was only a small female vs. male differences in use. Similar patterns were found in the other countries, with a few key exceptions. In particular, there was low SC for e-cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes in the other countries, where e-cigarettes had been federally regulated by the time of data collection. CONCLUSION: Overall, these findings have implications for the continued spreading popularity of these tobacco use behaviors.

[Migration and diabetes]. / Migration und Diabetes.

The article deals with the demographic data of migration in Austria and with therapeutic advice concerning drug therapy and diabetes education for patients with migration background. In this context socio-cultural specifics are discussed. These suggestions are seen complementary to the general treatment guidelines of the Austrian Diabetes Association.Especially for the fast months Ramadan there are a lot of informations. The most important point is that the patient care must be highly individualized and the management plan may differ for each patient.

Tobacco addiction and smoking cessation in Austrian migrants: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Recent observations revealed substantial differences in smoking behaviour according to individuals' migration background. However, smoking cessation strategies are rarely tailored on the basis of a migration background. We aimed to determine whether smoking behaviour and preferences for smoking cessation programmes differ between Austrian migrant smokers and Austrian smokers without a migration background. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Recruitment and interview were performed at public places in Vienna, Austria. PARTICIPANTS: The 420 smokers included: 140 Bosnian, 140 Turkish migrant smokers of the first or second generation, as well as 140 Austrian smokers without a migration background. METHODS: We cross-sectionally assessed determinants of smoking behaviour and smoking cessation of every participant with a standardised questionnaire. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: The Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Determinants of smoking behaviour, willingness to quit smoking and smoking cessation. RESULTS: Nicotine addiction expressed via the Fagerström score was significantly higher in smokers with a migration background versus those without (Bosnian migrant smokers 4.7 ± 2.5, Turkish migrant smokers 4.0 ± 2.0, Austrian smokers without a migration background 3.4 ± 2.3, p<0.0001). Bosnian and Turkish migrant smokers described a greater willingness to quit, but have had more previous cessation trials than Austrian smokers without a migration background, indicating an increased demand for cessation strategies in these study groups. They also participated in counselling programmes less often than Austrian smokers without a migration background. Finally, we found significant differences in preferences regarding smoking cessation programmes (ie, preferred location, service offered in another language besides German, and group rather than single counselling). CONCLUSIONS: We found significant differences in addictive behaviour and cessation patterns between smokers with and without a migration background. Our results indicate a strong demand for adjusting cessation programmes to the cultural background.

[Fight against epidemics: Austrian prisoners in Troyes]. / Lutte contre les épidémies: les prisonniers autrichiens à Troyes.

The victories near Ulm and Elchingen, where the Napoleonic army took 60000 prisoners between 15th and 20th of October 1805, lead to the arrival at Troyes (county "Aube") of nearly 2000 Austrian soldiers to be held inside former monasteries among whose, mainly the Jacobinians casern where more than half of them stayed. At the beginning of 1806, the government sent the epidemics medical practitioner Dr Desgenettes on an inspection tour to control the state of health of the populations of places where foreign prisoners were held, which lead him through several counties of the North-eastern part of France, where he surveyed several diseases ranging from all kinds offevers up to dysentery, scabies or gangrenes. With the means of acid fumigations invented by the chemist Guyton Morveau from Dijon, the authorities took care of combating and preventing the epidemics in the caserns. As soon as October 1805, the epidemics medical practitioner Dr Pigeotte from Troyes wrote to the county governor his observations recommending a better diet, airing of the rooms and also calls to take some exercise. All these precepts showed an astonishing modernity.

Recent trends of cancer mortality in Romanian adults: mortality is still increasing, although young adults do better than the middle-aged and elderly population.

We analysed the mortality trends (1986-2009) for all cancers combined and selected cancers in adult Romanians by three age groups (15-49, 50-69 and older than 70 years of age) in comparison with 11 other European countries. We extracted mortality data from the WHO database and grouped the countries into four regions: central and eastern Europe (Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary), Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), western and northern Europe (Austria, the Netherlands and Finland), and southern Europe (Croatia and Slovenia). Mortality rates were age-standardized against the standard European population. Significant changes in mortality trends were identified by Joinpoint regression and annual percentage changes (APCs) were calculated for periods with uniform trends. Cancer mortality in Romania was among the lowest in Europe in 1986, but was higher than most countries by 2009. Despite the declining mortality (APC) in younger Romanians for all cancers combined (men-1.5% from 1997, women-1.2% 1997-2004 and -3.8% 2004-2009), male lung cancer (-2.8% from 1997), female breast (-3.5% from 1999) and cervical (-5.4% from 2004) cancers, mortality has increased in middle-aged and elderly patients for most cancers analysed. The exception was declining stomach cancer mortality in most Romanians, except elderly men. For most cancers analysed, mortality declined in the Baltic countries in young and middle-aged patients, and in western and northern countries for all ages. Lung cancer mortality in women increased in all countries except Latvia. We urge immediate steps to reverse the alarming increase in cancer mortality among middle-aged and elderly Romanians.

High-resolution HLA haplotype frequencies of stem cell donors in Germany with foreign parentage: how can they be used to improve unrelated donor searches?

In hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, human leukocyte antigens (HLA), usually HLA loci A, B, C, DRB1 and DQB1, are required to check histocompatibility between a potential donor and the recipient suffering from a malignant or non-malignant blood disease. As databases of potential unrelated donors are very heterogeneous with respect to typing resolution and number of typed loci, donor registries make use of haplotype frequency-based algorithms to provide matching probabilities for each potentially matching recipient/donor pair. However, it is well known that HLA allele and haplotype frequencies differ significantly between populations. We estimated high-resolution HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 haplotype and allele frequencies of donors within DKMS German Bone Marrow Donor Center with parentage from 17 different countries: Turkey, Poland, Italy, Russian Federation, Croatia, Greece, Austria, Kazakhstan, France, The Netherlands, Republic of China, Romania, Portugal, USA, Spain, United Kingdom and Bosnia and Herzegovina. 5-locus haplotypes including HLA-DQB1 are presented for Turkey, Poland, Italy and Russian Federation. We calculated linkage disequilibria for each sample. Genetic distances between included countries could be shown to reflect geography. We further demonstrate how genetic differences between populations are reflected in matching probabilities of recipient/donor pairs and how they influence the search for unrelated donors as well as strategic donor center typings.

Transformation of traditional knowledge of medicinal plants: the case of Tyroleans (Austria) who migrated to Australia, Brazil and Peru.

BACKGROUND: In ethnobotanical research, the investigation into traditional knowledge of medicinal plants in the context of migration has been of increasing interest in recent decades since it is influenced and changed by new environmental and social conditions. It most likely undergoes transformation processes to match the different living circumstances in the new location. This study compares the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants held by Tyroleans - and their descendants - who emigrated to Australia, Brazil and Peru at different time scales. The study's findings allow a discussion of the complexities and dynamics that influence this knowledge within the context of long-distance migration. METHODS: Information was obtained from 65 informants by free-listing, semi-structured interviews and non-participatory observation in Tyrol (Austria) and the migrants' countries: Australia, Brazil and Peru. The collected data was analysed using different quantitative approaches, including statistical tests, and compared between the countries of investigation. RESULTS: All respondents in all four investigation areas claimed that they had knowledge and made use of medicinal plants to treat basic ailments in their day-to-day lives. Informants made 1,139 citations of medicinal plants in total in free lists, which correspond to 164 botanical taxa (genus or species level) in Tyrol, 87 in Australia, 84 in Brazil and 134 in Peru. Of all the botanical taxa listed, only five (1.1%) were listed in all four countries under investigation. Agreement among informants within free lists was highest in Tyrol (17%), followed by Peru (12.2%), Australia (11.9%) and Brazil (11.2%). The proportion of agreement differs significantly between informants in Australia and Tyrol (p = 0.001), Brazil and Tyrol (p = 0.001) and Peru and Tyrol (p = 0.001) and is similar between informants in the migrant countries, as indicated by statistical tests. We recorded 1,286 use citations according to 744 different uses (Tyrol: 552, Australia: 200, Brazil: 180, Peru: 357) belonging to 22 different categories of use. Use values are significantly different between Tyrol and Australia (p < 0.001) but not between Tyrol and Brazil (p = 0.127) and Tyrol and Peru (p = 0.853). The average informant agreement ratio (IAR) in Tyrol is significantly higher than in Australia (p = 0.089) and Brazil (p = 0.238), but not Peru (p = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Changing ecological and social conditions have transformed and shaped traditional knowledge of medicinal plants through adaptation processes to match the new circumstances in the country of arrival. Continuation, substitution and replacement are strategies that have taken place at different rates depending on local circumstances in the research areas. Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants acquired in the home country is continuously diminishing, with its composition influenced by urbanisation and ongoing globalisation processes and challenged by shifts from traditional healing practices to modern healthcare facilities.

Natural course of untreated microalbuminuria in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes and the importance of diabetes duration and immigrant status: longitudinal analysis from the prospective nationwide German and Austrian diabetes survey DPV.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for the development and progression of untreated persistent microalbuminuria in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. DESIGN AND METHODS: A total number of 683 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes recruited from the prospective nationwide German and Austrian diabetes survey (DPV) were included in the analysis. Inclusion criteria were onset of type 1 diabetes under the age of 11 years, diabetes duration of more than 1 year and continuous follow-up over 5 years with at least two documented urine analyses per year. Subjects treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors were excluded. Risk factors such as sex, body mass index SDS, diabetes duration, HbA1c, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and immigrant status were analysed by logistic regression. RESULTS: At baseline (age 10.5 ± 0.1 years, diabetes duration 4.6 ± 2.4 years and HbA1c 7.4 ± 1.1%), 75.6% of children had normoalbuminuria, 15.7% had intermittent microalbuminuria, 8.6% had persistent microalbuminuria and 0.1% had macroalbuminuria. After a follow-up of 5 years, 59.4% of adolescents continued to have normoalbuminuria, 18.4% had progression, 15.2% had regression of microalbuminuria, and in 6.9% of the subjects, microalbuminuria remained unchanged. We found significant associations between persistent microalbuminuria at baseline and during each year of follow-up (P < 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis identified diabetes duration and immigrant status as significant factors for microalbuminuria (P = 0.009 and P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: The survey in a real-world setting shows that diabetes duration and immigrant status are risk factors for the development and progression of untreated microalbuminuria in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Human smuggling in Austria: a comparative analysis of data on smuggled migrants from former Yugoslavia and the Russian Federation.

This article provides a summary of the author's research on human smuggling in Austria comparing migrants from Former Yugoslavia and the Russian Federation. The project's primary intent was to collect more detailed information on migrants seeking asylum in Austria and their use of smuggling services to leave their home countries, including detailed information on demographics, force or threat of force by smugglers, routes and methods of transportation, costs of smuggling, payment methods, and deeper perceptual questions regarding the flight. Another central premise of the article discusses how current distinctions between human smuggling and human trafficking are arbitrary in many regards.

The Freudian subject and the Maoist mind: the diaries of Hermine Hug-Hellmuth and Lei Feng.

Although written in vastly different cultural contexts and periods, Hermine Hug-Hellmuth's "Diary of a Young Girl" (1919) and Lei Feng's "The Diary of Lei Feng" (1963) both to a large extent were written as concept pieces, with the goal of illustrating specific theories of the self. In the case of Hug-Hellmuth, the underlying theory is the Freudian sexualized unconscious mind, whereas for Lei Feng, it is Maoist revolutionary optimism. Additionally, both diaries have unusually strong inauthentic or 'fake' aspects. Although Hug-Hellmuth never admitted to writing the diary, most critics believed it came from her pen. Lei Feng's diary was revised through his own attempts to present himself as politically progressive, by editors, and through successive political movements that focused on the person behind the diary and made him one of the most widely-recognized figures in China. As such, the diaries are excellent windows into powerful and long-lasting ideological constructs.

Freud's Mexican readers.

This essay presents an overview of artists and writers who read Freud's work in Mexico between 1920 and 1968. The focus is on cultural readings of Freud: non-clinical interpretations of psychoanalysis that applied Freud's theory to literary, artistic, philosophical, or religious questions. The essay focuses on Salvador Novo, one of the poets associated with the Contemporáneos group, and his reading of the "Three Essays in the Theory of Sexuality;" Raúl Carrancá y Trujillo, a judge and criminologist who used psychoanalysis in his work, including the trial of Trotky's assassin; Octavio Paz, a poet and intellectual who wrote an essay on Mexican history, "The Labyrinth of Solitude," as a response to "Moses and Monotheism;" and Gregorio Lemercier, a Benedictine monk who placed his monastery in group analysis. These unorthodox readings of Freud opened the door for some of the most daring intellectual experiments in the 20th century.

Mysteries of nature.

This article examines a group photograph of the Psychiatry and Neurology section of the 66th Meeting of the Society of German Natural Scientists and Doctors in Vienna, 24-30 September 1894 which Sigmund Freud attended. The society's origins in Naturphilosophie are indicated and a number of the participants are identified on the photo. They and the events at the conference are related to Sigmund Freud's work at the time and to his gradual abandonment of anatomy and of heredity and degeneration as significant aetiological factors in the neuroses. Philosophical problems, such as how phenomena should be described and how 'nature' is conceptualized, are also considered in the light of their implications for Freud's life and thought at that period.

A cross-cultural investigation of suicidal behavior and attitudes in Austrian and Turkish medical students.

PURPOSE: This cross-cultural study investigated the prevalence of suicidal behavior and attitudes towards suicide and reactions to suicidal individuals in 320 Austrian and 326 Turkish medical students. METHODS: Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire consisting of sections on demographic information, suicidal behavior, current mood, religiosity, attitudes towards suicide, and reactions to suicidal individuals. RESULTS: More Austrian (37.8%) than Turkish (27.3%) students reported life-time, past 12-month, or current suicidal ideation, while more Turkish (6.4%) than Austrian (2.2%) students reported life-time or past 12-month suicide attempts. Austrian students had more permissive and liberal attitudes towards suicide, while those of Turkish students were more rejecting. Conversely, attitudes of Turkish medical students towards an imagined suicidal close friend were more accepting than those of Austrian medical students. Comparisons of suicidal versus nonsuicidal students showed that those reporting suicidal ideation or suicide attempts generally were more accepting of suicide and viewed suicide as a solution to a greater extent than the nonsuicidal group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that cultural factors play a role in observed country differences in suicidal ideation and behavior and in attitudes towards suicide and reactions to suicidality among Austrian and Turkish medical students.