Nicolas Moreau

Sports activities in a psychosocial perspective: preliminary analysis of adolescent participation in sports challenges.

As the literature is far from being unanimous in regards to the psychosocial benefits of sports practice, we conducted a preliminary qualitative study with nine teenagers who participated in a group sporting challenge to better understand: (1) youths’ perceptions regarding the program’s most important dimensions and (2) its effects in the physical, psychological and social spheres of their life. Following these results, we highlighted six driving principles we consider to be significant to interventions involving sports as a tool for psychosocial development: (1) cooperation amongst youth; (2) facilitators’ discipline, direct involvement and positive attitude; (3) moving the youths beyond their physical, psychological and social comfort zones; (4) the interplay between enjoyment and effort; (5) constant innovation in training content; (6) risk as a driving force for cohesion and social ties.

The Relationship Between Mental Disorders and Types of Crime in Inmates in a Brazilian Prison

This cross‐sectional study conducted in prisons in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, investigated the association between the presence of psychiatric disorders in 462 prisoners and the types of crimes committed by them. Psychiatric diagnosis was obtained by means of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Mini‐International Neuropsychiatric Interview. A statistically significant association was found between some psychiatric disorders and specific groups of crime: lifelong substance addiction with sex crimes and homicide; antisocial personality disorder with robbery and with kidnapping and extortion; borderline personality disorder with sex crimes; and lifelong alcohol addiction with fraud and conspiracy and with armed robbery and murder. It was concluded that the mental disorders considered more severe (psychosis and bipolar disorder) were not associated with violent crimes, suggesting that the severity of the psychotic disorder may be the factor that has caused psychosis to be associated with violent crimes in previous studies.

Public media communications about H1N1, risk perceptions and immunization behaviours: A Quebec–France comparison

During the H1N1 pandemic, governments tailored their communications plans in order to influence risk perception and promote public compliance with the public health plan measures. Considering the volume and the content of calls to flu information centres as indicators of the public risk perception, this mixed method study compares the relation between public communications, risk perception and immunization behaviour in Quebec and France. Results suggest that advocating for clear information and coordination between health authorities and the media promotes adherence to preventive behaviour. However, over-exaggerating the risks and minimizing the population’s agency may undermine health authority credibility.

Pursuit of a ‘Normal Life’: Mood, Anxiety, and Their Disordering

Throughout the process of being treated for mood and anxiety disorders, people dream of the “normal life” that awaits them. However, post-therapy, the distinctiveness of clinical normality (i.e., reduced symptomatology) and social normativity become more apparent. In this article we suggest that for people who have long felt socially excluded because of their psychiatric symptoms, being “normally shy” or “normally awkward” is not enough. Instead they aspire to an ideal life. This confusion between means and ends, between a nonsymptomatic self, a normative self, and an ideal self, leads these individuals to long-term self-doubt and confusion about how to reach their elusive goals. Yet, their never-ending pursuit of normative ideals applies to “normal” and “abnormal” people alike. An analysis of narratives of exclusion allows us to reflect the life-long search for social inclusion via a normal life.

Current Trends in Theoretical Orientation of Psychologists: The Case of Quebec Clinicians.

OBJECTIVEnTrends indicate that clinical psychologists theoretical orientations have changed over the last decades in North America, but research on this topic in Canada is scarce. We analyzed the orientation of psychologists over the last 20 years in the province of Quebec, where 46% of Canadian psychologists are located.nnnMETHODnData were collected annually through the board registration form of Quebec psychologists professional order from 1993 to 2013. Univariate statistical analyses were realized on aggregated data.nnnRESULTSnIn 20 years, the proportion of clinicians choosing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as their main orientation grew from 18.4% to 38%, while preference for other orientations slightly declined. Existential-humanistic and psychodynamic-psychoanalytic approaches remained the primary orientation for around 21.7% and 21.5%, respectively. In 2013 (N = 8608), when taking into account 2 choices of theoretical orientation, 55.8% of clinicians chose CBT, 34.3% existential-humanistic orientation, 27.9% psychodynamic-analytic theories, and 21.8% systemic-interactional orientation.nnnCONCLUSIONSnFindings underline trends in Quebec clinical practice characterized by an increase in the number of psychologists identifying cognitive-behavioral approach as their primary self-reported theoretical orientation.

Motivational factors for youth recruitment in voluntary interventions: the case of a community sport program

Recruitment is known to be a challenge for intervention programs targeting youths, including sports programs. Following the popularity of the Alter-Action program of the Montreal-based organization DesÉquilibres, we wanted to understand the motivations and barriers to youths recruitment in this voluntary sports community program. A qualitative methodology was favored. We conducted 27 semi-structured interviews (n = 27) with participants, 5 (n = 5) with the partners, and we carried out a focus group with 5 (n = 5) of the organizations service practitioners. We also conducted a participant observation with youth cohorts and during preparatory meetings. Five factors influencing recruitment emerged: (1) socialization/belonging; (2) training/physical aspects; (3) ‘extraordinary’ dimension; (4) practicality of the program; and (5) social influences. Four key elements thus appear important to consider when promoting the recruitment of youths in voluntary community programs: (1) favoring social interactions; (2) insisting on the specific and beneficial elements of the program; (3) allowing youths to experiment a trial period; and (4) including testimonies of former participants in the information session. Further recommendations for psychosocial intervention programs targeting youths are discussed in this article.

From Affirmed Privilege to Experiences of Discrimination: Majority Anglophones' Perceptions of Linguistic Majority-Minority Dynamics in Canada

Abstract:This paper explores the rarely addressed subject of linguistic majority in the context of Canadian society, through a qualitative analysis of 20 semi-directed interviews with majority Anglophone participants. It was found that while participants acknowledged a certain form of privilege related to their majority status within Canadian society, it was also common for them to experience situations in which they felt overlooked, marginalized and even discriminated against. Linguistic privilege has not been the subject of more studies because it is often seen as a default, taken-for-granted status in Canadian society. However, studying this form of privilege and its intersections with other dimensions of identity such as gender, class and race could lead to new insights on language, power and group identity. Moreover, studies on the majority are especially pertinent in a context where silent majorities are becoming increasingly vocal in stating their dissatisfaction and feelings of discrimination. This article can provide pathways to a better understanding of this emergent issue.Résumé:Le «privilège linguistique» est un concept peu exploité dans la littérature scientifique, puisquêtre anglophone en situation majoritaire constitue le statu quo de lidentité canadienne. Pourtant, létude de cette forme possible de privilège et de ses intersections avec dautres catégories sociales telles que la classe, le genre et la race savère un terreau très fertile pour lanalyse des liens entre la langue, le pouvoir et lidentité de groupe. Cet article sintéresse au sujet peu documenté de la majorité linguistique au Canada à laide dune analyse qualitative de 20 entretiens semi-dirigés réalisés auprès dindividus anglophones en situation majoritaire. Nos résultats montrent que bien que les participants reconnaissaient leur statut privilégié au sein de la société canadienne, ces derniers pouvaient également vivre des situations dans lesquelles ils se sentaient invisibles et marginalisés, voire discriminés. De plus, les études «sur la majorité» sont particulièrement pertinentes dans le contexte sociopolitique actuel où les «majorités silencieuses» prennent parole pour dénoncer leur insatisfaction et leurs sentiments dinjustice.