"We remain very much the second sex": the constructions of prostate cancer in popular news magazines, 2000-2010.

Informed by social constructionism, biomedicalization, and a feminist framework, a discourse analysis was performed on 31 popular news articles published in North America between 2000 and 2010. The magazines construct prostate cancer in a gendered manner. Its construction is rooted in themes that are related to discussions of biology, prostate cancer as a heterosexual problem, the responsibilization of health and masculinity. Through these constructions, the popular news articles reinforce dominant ideals and performances of hegemonic masculinity and male sexuality, traditional femininity, and heteronormativity. While reinforcing such ideals, the prevention, treatment, and knowledge of prostate cancer is constructed as the responsibility of individual men. This study reveals that the articles favor discussions of heteronormativity and hegemonic masculinity over racism, rendering health inequalities silent.

Revisioning clinical psychology: integrating cultural psychology into clinical research and practice with portuguese immigrants.

This article outlines a model for conducting psychotherapy with people of diverse cultural backgrounds. The theoretical foundation for the model is based on clinical and cultural psychology. Cultural psychology integrates psychology and anthropology in order to provide a complex understanding of both culture and the individual within his or her cultural context. The model proposed in this article is also based on our clinical experience and mixed-method research with the Portuguese community. The model demonstrates its value with ethnic minority clients by situating the clients within the context of their multi-layered social reality. The individual, familial, socio-cultural, and religio-moral domains are explored in two research projects, revealing the interrelation of these levels/contexts. The article is structured according to these domains. Study 1 is a quantitative study that validates the Agonias Questionnaire in Ontario. The results of this study are used to illustrate the individual domain of our proposed model. Study 2 is an ethnography conducted in the Azorean Islands, and the results of this study are integrated to illustrate the other three levels of the model, namely family, socio-cultural, and the religio-moral levels.

Surplus suffering, mothers don't know best: denial of mothers' reality when parenting a child with mental health issues.

This paper reports on a qualitative interview study of 16 mothers whose children had received a diagnosis with one, or more, mental health issue. It is based on retrospective accounts from mothers describing the early days of noticing that something seemed a bit problematic with their child. When they tried to discuss their concerns and asked for advice from family and friends their concerns were usually dismissed. When they took the child to the doctor, the doctor initially denied the mother's own assessment of the child. Other professionals weighed in and often blamed the mother and denied her reality too. These findings are discussed in terms of the theories of surplus suffering, good and intensive mothering, mother blame and stigma. Implications for practice are considered.

Mothers whose children have ADD/ADHD discuss their children's medication use: an investigation of blogs.

This article presents the results of a frame and discourse analysis of Internet blog sites where parents (usually mothers) discuss their concerns about medication use by their children with attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD). This is a particularly important topic in an era characterized by powerful circulating discourses around the contentious medicalization of, and prevalent pharmaceutical treatments for, ADD/ADHD, as well as the mother blame associated with having a child diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. The findings document that the mothers see ADD/ADHD as legitimate medical diagnoses and view themselves as caretakers of children with brain and neuro-chemical anomalies affecting the behavior of their children. They favor pharmaceutical use and describe themselves as experts in the difficult and complex issues related to pharmaceuticalized parenting. At the same time their adoption of medicalization is contingent as they express specific critiques of some doctors, some types of doctors, and critically evaluate science.

The portrayal of depression in the three most popular English-language Black-American magazines in the USA: Ebony, Essence, and Jet.

UNLABELLED: OBJECTIVE\: To examine how depression is portrayed within a specific racialized group. DESIGN: Manifest and latent content analysis of the three highest circulating magazines directed toward Black-American readers, Essence, Ebony, and Jet, from 2000 to 2007. RESULTS: The findings demonstrate ambiguity and contradictions about depression's meaning and incidence, as well as the availability, accessibility, and suitability of medical treatment. All of these are linked to racialized identities among Black Americans. CONCLUSION: Magazine portrayal of depression in these magazines can only be understood in the context of experienced racism, oppression, and ethnic identity among Blacks.

The portrayal of complementary and alternative medicine in mass print magazines since 1980.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to examine and describe the portrayal of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in mass print media magazines. DESIGN: The sample included all 37 articles found in magazines with circulation rates of greater than 1 million published in the United States and Canada from 1980 to 2005. The analysis was quantitative and qualitative and included investigation of both manifest and latent magazine story messages. RESULTS: Manifest analysis noted that CAM was largely represented as a treatment for a patient with a medically diagnosed illness or specific symptoms. Discussions used biomedical terms such as patient rather than consumer and disease rather than wellness. LATENT analysis revealed three themes: (1) CAMs were described as good but not good enough; (2) individualism and consumerism were venerated; and (3) questions of costs were raised in the context of confusion and ambivalence.

Heart disease and gender in mass print media.

Heart disease is a major cause of death, disease and disability in the developed world for both men and women. Women appear to be under-diagnosed and treated both because they fail to visit the doctor or hospital with relevant symptoms and because doctors tend to dismiss the seriousness of women's symptoms of heart disease. This review examined the way that popular mass print media present the possible association between gender and heart disease. It found that there was: [1] an under-representation of heart disease as a possible concern to women, [2] a dismissing or sensationalization of women's heart disease, [3] a tendency to blame women's complex menopausal bodies for the causes of heart disease, [4] an association of women with the heart disease of their husbands, [5] a linking of heart disease with masculinity and [6] a promotion of the idea of the need for women to fear of heart disease and the necessity of taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. The review concluded with suggestions for further research and for practice.

Women's work, worry and fear: the portrayal of sexuality and sexual health in US magazines for teenage and middle-aged women, 2000-2007.

The purpose of this paper is to report on an exploratory content analysis of the portrayal of sexuality, sexual health and disease in select magazines designed for two groups of women: teenagers and women in the 40-50-year-old age category in the USA. The analysis found that magazine portrayal was both similar for the two groups of women and distinctly different. Neither group of magazines focused on women's sexual desire. Both kinds of magazines emphasized that it was women's work and worry to control sexual expression. Teenagers were described as responsible for avoiding sex in order to prevent pregnancy, fearsomely described STIs and untrustworthy male sexual partners. Abstinence was presented as the only viable option for young women. Women in the 40-50-year-old age group were portrayed as responsible for the emotion work and sexual relations linked to their responsibility for maintaining their marriages and fulfilling their tasks of motherhood, especially through the monitoring of the sexuality of their female children. Sex was characterized in terms akin to women's work within the home. Possible explanations for, and consequences of, these presentations of sexuality are discussed.

The triumph of pharmaceuticals: the portrayal of depression from 1980 to 2005.

This paper reports on a study of the media portrayal of depression in all of the 98 articles recovered from high circulating magazines directed towards diverse audiences in Canada and the US from 1980 to 2005. Through qualitative analysis of manifest and latent messages the paper compares stories from the 1980s with those from the 1990s and 2000s with respect to how they answer the following questions about depression: What is it? Where is it? Who gets it? What can or should be done about it? It also looks at the use of metaphors, the deployment of celebrities as representatives of depression and the links made with physical illness. The answers to all questions document a trend over time towards a reductionistic and bio-medicalized notion of depression. Depression moved from a problem explained in a variety of ways in the 1980s to a primarily bio-medical phenomenon in mass magazines in the 1990s and 2000s. Theoretical explanations and practical consequences at the individual, therapeutic and societal levels are considered.

Asperger's syndrome: differences between parents' understanding and those diagnosed.

This paper reports on a content analysis of blogs written by people with Asperger's syndrome (AS), as well as people who are parents and caretakers of people with AS. The paper documents that the views of the two groups, based on 30 blogs from each perspective, are frequently oppositional to one another. Whereas the parents and caretakers usually accept the medical definition of the situation and seek assistance and a cure for their children, the Aspies argue against this pathologizing and medicalizing perspective. Those diagnosed with AS say they are happy with who they are and that any suffering they may have undergone has been the result of society and not inherent in their condition. The paper concludes with a discussion of the theoretical, methodological, substantive, and practical implications of these findings.

Heart disease and gender in mass print media.

Heart disease is a major cause of death, disease and disability in the developed world for both men and women. Nevertheless, the evidence suggests that women are under-diagnosed both because they fail to visit the doctor with relevant symptoms and because doctors tend to dismiss the seriousness of women's symptoms of heart disease. This study examines the way that popular mass print media present the possible links between gender and heart disease. The findings suggest that the 'usual candidates' for heart disease are considered to be high achieving and active men for whom the 'heart attack' is sometimes seen as a 'badge of honour' and a symbol of their success. In contrast, women are less often seen as likely to succumb, but they are portrayed as if they are and ought to be worried about their husbands. Women's own bodies are described as so problematic as to be perhaps useless to diagnose, because they are so difficult to understand and treat.

A comparison of blogs by depressed men and women.

This paper reports on a study comparing Internet blogs written by 45 men and 45 women who self-identified as depressed. Using qualitative and inductive methods, distinct differences among the male and female experiences of depression were documented. Among the most important differences were the distinctions male and female bloggers made in regards to (1) the bio-medicalization of depression; (2) the relative significance of world events as compared to relationships in depression experiences; and (3) violence, including suicide and cutting. Theoretical reasons and explanations for these findings are discussed.

Mass print media depictions of cancer and heart disease: community versus individualistic perspectives?

This paper is based on a critical discourse content analysis of 40 stories from the 20 highest circulating English-language mass magazines available in Canada and published in Canada or the USA in 2001. It examines the presence or absence of the social determinants perspective in the portrayal of the two most significant causes of morbidity and mortality in these countries: cancer and heart disease. The media analysis documents an absence of reflection of the social determinants viewpoint on these, the most important causes of disease and death. Thus, magazine stories ignore the role of such considerations as income, education level, ethnicity, visible minority or, Aboriginal status, early life experiences, employment and working conditions, food accessibility and quality, housing, social services, social exclusion, or unemployment and employment security in explaining health. Instead, the magazine articles underscore an individualistic approach to disease that assumes that health care is accessible and available to all, and that these diseases are preventable and treatable through individual lifestyle choices in combination with the measures prescribed through conventional medicine. Although cancer and heart disease are framed by a medical discourse, articles tended to emphasise the independence, freedom and power of the individual within the medical care system. The research documents a continuation of the dominance of conventional medicine buttressed by individualism in media stories. Theoretical and methodological issues are discussed. Some of the practical consequences for policy-makers and professionals are noted.

Gender and heart disease in mass print media: 1991, 1996, 2001.

Using a qualitative content analysis, this paper investigates the portrayal of heart disease among men and women in 75 articles of the 20 highest circulating mass print magazines in 1991, 1996 and 2001 available in Canada and published in the United States and Canada. The majority of articles were directed at men. Whether the article focused on men or women, the depiction of heart disease tended to be gendered. For men, heart disease was described as almost inevitable and as a badge of successful manhood. Its experience and treatment were portrayed as mechanical and aggressive, as well as the result of individual lifestyle choices that could be "fixed" by the individual himself. In comparison, women's heart disease was portrayed as something of which to be ashamed, especially since diagnosis conflicts with the role of "caregiver." Women were described as ignorant, emotional victims. Moreover, women's bodies were portrayed as pathological, especially after menopause. Practical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.

The paradoxical reliance on allopathic medicine and positivist science among skeptical audiences.

A number of studies have found an association between what people see, hear and read in the mass media and their corresponding actions and beliefs. This link has been demonstrated both at the micro and at the macro levels of analysis. However, when people are asked directly about the impact of mass media they tend to deny that they are personally affected. In fact, they tend to describe themselves as critical and skeptical media consumers. The purpose of this paper is to explore this contradiction through 12 in-depth focus group discussions undertaken in Ontario, Canada in 2004. Findings from the focus group interviews confirm earlier research in that people claimed that they were not susceptible to media influence. At the same time as they said that they took information from the mass media "with a grain of salt", they articulated sophisticated and nuanced accounts of how and why they evaluated some information as good and some as bad. In general they evaluated media stories on the basis of the values of allopathic medicine and positivistic science. Moreover, in the context of the focus groups and their explicit comments on their skepticism, they discussed health information from the magazine articles that they were given to read (on either HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, or a heart disease). Possible explanations for these paradoxical findings are discussed.

Life beyond depression: the experience of gays and lesbians who self-identify as depressed.

The purpose of this research was to compare differences in the experiences of gay men and lesbian women who describe experiences of depression or depressed mood. The 2 main research questions were how do descriptions of depression and daily life differ between gay males and lesbian females. To this end, Weblogs containing narratives of 19 gay men and 19 lesbian women were coded, analyzed, and compared using qualitative content analysis methods. Differences in described sources of depression and responses to depression, but not features of depression were found. Women and men also differed with respect to their main priorities; their descriptions of social interactions, social issues, reflections, and emotions; and a number of other daily life experiences. Findings were discussed with respect to implications for treatment and prevention of depression among sexual minorities.

Advocacy: essential work for mothers of children living with cancer.

This paper, based on focus group interviews with mothers whose children have had cancer, describes the advocacy work in which mothers engaged during the period of diagnosis and treatment. Among the mothers' manifold responsibilities, advocacy was one of the most compelling. It was described as if it was a taken-for-granted moral imperative. Some mothers said they felt that it was necessary because of (1) perceived errors during diagnosis or later during the process of treatment; (2) perceived understaffing; (3) advice given by other mothers or fathers; and (4) perceived lack of coordination and communication in the medical care system. Many coped with the need to advocate through educating themselves, by keeping extensive notes and journals and by talking to other parents about their experiences. The paper concludes with clinical practice implications and recommendations for policy consideration including acknowledgment of the significant role of optimal family cohesion for managing the stresses and strains of advocacy and other home health care work; appointment of parent-child advocates associated with hospitals that provide pediatric oncology care; establishment of in-service training and education for guardians and medical care teams regarding their mutual roles and responsibilities; as well as, the provision of guaranteed and paid parental leave policies for guardians whose children have a catastrophic or severe chronic medical condition.

The portrayal of HIV/AIDS in two popular African American magazines.

Mainstream magazines and other media have been found to both reflect and influence existing values and beliefs regarding health and medicine. Little is known about how media directed toward specific cultural or other market groups may differ. The present study examined how HIV and AIDS are portrayed within a specific ethnocultural medium, the two highest circulating magazines directed toward African American and African Canadian readers. The portrayal of HIV/AIDS from January 1997 to October 2001 in Ebony and Essence magazines was examined through manifest and latent content analysis. African American people were described paradoxically both as powerless victims in the face of the disease and as members of a strong and identifiable community of "sisters" and "brothers" available to respond to prevent and cope with the disease. Polarization between Blacks and Whites was accomplished by frequent emphasis on the higher rates of HIV/AIDS amongst Black Americans. Both the church and spirituality were highlighted as means of prevention education and coping.

The case of the missing person: Alzheimer's disease in mass print magazines 1991-2001.

Alzheimer's disease is growing in incidence and prevalence in the developed world. Rates have been increasing as populations have been aging. There are still many unknowns regarding prevention, causes, and treatments. The purpose of this article is to analyze the portrayal of Alzheimer's in the highest-circulation mass print English-language magazines published in the United States and Canada over a period of a decade, specifically those for 1991, 1996, and 2001. This research investigates the portrayal of persons with Alzheimer's, the disease itself, caregivers and experts, and the dominant frames or discourses within which Alzheimer's is described. Twenty-five articles from the highest-circulation mass print magazines available in Canada were studied through qualitative and inductive research of both manifest and latent content. One of the most notable findings is the absence of the person with the disease as a person with a voice, with needs and desires. When the disease itself is described it is characterized as fearsome, relentless, and aggressive. Both the unquestioned duty of the individual caregiver and his or her (usually the caregiver is a woman) suffering are emphasized. The disease, its diagnosis, and potential treatments are framed almost exclusively within a medical rather than a political-economy or lifestyle frame. Minimal attention is paid to prevention, early stages of the disease, social support, options for care, or other alternative understandings of issues related to Alzheimer's. The theoretical and practical significance of these findings is considered.

The portrayal of heart disease in mass print magazines, 1991-2001.

In this article we discuss the portrayal of heart disease based on a content analysis of the highest circulating English-language magazines available in Canada and published in Canada or the United States in 1991, 1996, and 2001. It includes both manifest and latent content analysis. In terms of the manifest analysis, the findings indicate the dominance of the medical frame followed by lifestyle and social structural frames. The latent analysis reveals the following frames: (a) optimism about medicine; (b) medicine as "good" and, by contrast, the body as "bad"; (c) heart disease as an "attack"; (d) heart disease as an individual responsibility; (e) contradictory information; (f) male celebrity patients and doctors; and (g) prestigious medical doctors, journals, and institutions. The medicalized portrayal of heart disease as fear generating is considered. In addition, the lack of attention to social structural causation in contrast to current epidemiological findings is discussed.