Counseling black college students in special programs

The black college student's encounter with special programs gives rise to special counseling needs which this article describes. In effect, the counselor's task is to assist the student to cope with institutional demands and overcome the alienating effect of the impersonal, white, middle class institution. To do this, the counselor must establish a unique relationship with the student at a critical moment through an outreach approach. Subsequently, the counselor will also be called upon to assist the student in the resolution of an identity crisis. White counselors are not disqualified, but they may need to modify their style of counseling.     

Implicit and explicit memory in junior high and college students

This study compared the performance of 25 seventh and eighth grade boys and girls on tests of implicit and explicit memory to that of 34 men and women in college. The latter performed significantly better on the explicit memory test. Young adolescents showed a significant priming effect on the implicit memory test; college students did not. Findings suggest a ceiling effect for college students. The results support the distinction between implicit and explicit memory.     

Poly‐victimization and executive functions in junior college students

This study sought to characterize executive dysfunctions in poly‐victimized students without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and the relationship between neuropsychological and behavioral rating measures of executive functions (EFs). Based on self‐report data of exposure to victimization and PTSD symptoms, 259 junior college students aged 18–21 years were classified into four groups: poly‐victimization with PTSD symptoms (PVP), poly‐victimization without PTSD symptoms (PVnP), non‐poly‐victimization (nPV), and non‐victimization (nV). Respondents also completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function‐Adult Version (BRIEF‐A). Of the 259 participants, 131 were administered a battery of neuropsychological tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery (CANTAB). The PVP group and the PVnP group performed worse than the nV group on most BRIEF‐A scales. When compared with the nPV group, the PVP group demonstrated poorer performance on the scales of Inhibit, Shift, Emotional Control, Initiate, and Working Memory, while the PVnP group performed more poorly on the Working Memory scale and the Task Monitor scale. For all BRIEF‐A scales, no significant differences were detected between the PVP group and the PVnP group. This study showed no between‐group differences for most of the neuropsychological tests except for the Stop Signal Task (SST), and no correlations between these two measures of EFs. Overall, we found evidence of an association between deficits in EFs and poly‐victimization. Although our study raises questions about the relationship between these two measures of EFs, it suggests that the use of the BRIEF‐A in conjunction with the CANTAB provides a more complete assessment of the executive dysfunctions.     

A behavioral program for disruptive junior high school students: Results and follow-up

The 5-year annual and 4-year follow-up results of a collaborative community mental health center-junior high school program for disruptive students are presented. The program is a comprehensive, behavioral, in-school, regular education project characterized by a token economy, parent contracting, major subjects taught in the morning, small class enrollment, small group and individualized instruction, an early release from school contingency option and frequent parent-school communications. Annual controlled outcome results revealed that the program led to significant and consistent reductions in expulsions, suspensions, and grade failure, and variable, often significant, gains in attendance and achievement. Follow-up findings indicated that former program students in senior high school achieved a significantly higher entry rate, greater attendance, better classroom conduct, and a lower frequency of withdrawal from school.One second cohort student had been advanced a grade and was thus added to the original first cohort of 14 students.     

A cognitive-behavioral intervention program for students with special reading disabilities

Interaction among cognitive, meta-cognitive, and emotional factors seems to play a determining part in achievement behavior and especially in scholastic performance. In this study some preliminary results are presented of the implementation of a multidimensional cognitive-behavioral psychoeducational program especially designed for students with reading disabilities in which parents and teachers also take part. The aim of the program was to provide students with appropriate emotional and cognitive skills with which to address their learning problems. First results on the efficacy of the implemented program to 20 primary school boys and girls with special reading disabilities encourage research on management of learning problems with focus on cognitive and emotional aspects in which parents and teachers contribute. Research including a control group is necessary.     

An effectiveness trial of a new enhanced dissonance eating disorder prevention program among female college students

Objective

Efficacy trials indicate that a dissonance-based prevention program in which female high school and college students with body image concerns critique the thin-ideal reduced risk factors, eating disorder symptoms, and future eating disorder onset, but weaker effects emerged from an effectiveness trial wherein high school clinicians recruited students and delivered the program under real-world conditions. The present effectiveness trial tested whether a new enhanced dissonance version of this program produced larger effects when college clinicians recruited students and delivered the intervention using improved procedures to select, train, and supervise clinicians.

Method

Young women recruited from seven universities across the US (N = 408, M age = 21.6, SD = 5.64) were randomized to the dissonance intervention or an educational brochure control condition.

Results

Dissonance participants showed significantly greater decreases in risk factors (thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dieting, negative affect) and eating disorder symptoms versus controls at posttest and 1-year follow-up, resulting in medium average effect size (d = .60). Dissonance participants also reported significant improvements in psychosocial functioning, but not reduced health care utilization or unhealthy weight gain.

Conclusions

This novel multisite effectiveness trial with college clinicians found that the enhanced dissonance version of this program and the improved facilitator selection/training procedures produced average effects that were 83% larger than effects observed in the high school effectiveness trial.     

Randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of a web-based stress management program among community college students

Background and Objectives: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a web-based stress management program among community college students that focused on increasing perceived control over stressful events. Design: Students (N = 257) were randomly assigned to a Present Control Intervention or a Stress-information only comparison group. Methods: Primary outcomes were perceived stress and stress symptoms; secondary outcomes were depression and anxiety. Self-report measures were completed online at preintervention, postintervention, and three-week follow-up. Intervention effects were estimated using linear mixed models. Seventy-five percent of the sample (n = 194) completed the pretest and comprised the intent-to-treat sample. Results: Participants in the intervention group reported significant increases in present control, and significant decreases in all four primary and secondary outcome measures from baseline to postintervention and follow-up. Within-group effect sizes were small to medium at postintervention (mean d = –.34) and follow-up (mean d = –.49). The mean between-group effect size on the four outcome measures was d = .35 at postintervention but d = .12 at follow-up, due to unexpected decreases in distress in the comparison group. Conclusions: Our online program is a cost-effective mental health program for college students. Limitations and future direction are discussed.     

ADHD in college students

OBJECTIVE: According to the American Psychiatric Association, 3% to 7% of the school-age population has ADHD and many children continue to display significant symptoms throughout adolescences and adulthood. Relative to the childhood literature, less is known about ADHD in adults, especially college students with ADHD. The principle purpose of this review articles is to summarize the major research findings concerning ADHD in the college student population with regard to prevalence of symptoms, neuropsychological and psychological functioning. Overall, findings suggest that college students with ADHD are at greater risk for academic and psychological difficulties, and they perform similar to non-ADHD controls on many neuropsychological tasks. These findings are preliminary, however, and are tempered by the small number of studies that have been conducted as well as the methodological limitations of these studies. CONCLUSION: Future research using larger sample sizes, rigorous assessment criteria, and a longitudinal design is needed to better understand the psychological, academic, and neuropsychological functioning of college students with ADHD. Studies are also needed to elucidate the effects of pharmacological and nonpharmacological effects of treatment on the functioning of college students with this disorder.     

Introduction to special series on college students with ADHD: psychosocial issues, comorbidity, and treatment

Increasing empirical attention has been focused on college students with ADHD in recent years. In this special series, five studies are included that address psychosocial issues, comorbidity, and treatment of college students with ADHD. The nature and results of each study are briefly described. This special series of articles significantly advances our knowledge of critical issues with respect to psychosocial functioning, alcohol/substance use, comorbidity, and treatment of ADHD in college students.     

Conservatism of Israeli junior high school students: interethnic differences

The aims of the study were (a) to establish the factor structure characterizing Israeli junior high school students of Western and Oriental ethnic origin on the Children's Scale of Social Attitudes, (b) to compare the Israeli factor structure with those for school children from other societies, and (c) to examine whether the Israeli school children's factor structure resembled those for Israeli adults as well as for adults from other societies. Analysis indicated that Israeli junior high school children from both Western and Oriental ethnic groups were characterized by similar factors of general conservatism, namely, Religion, Antihedonism, and Punitiveness, although the Orientals were more conservative on these factors than the Westerners. In addition, the present factor structure resembled those for groups of school children as well as adults from other societies, reconfirming that factors of general conservatism have cross-cultural validity.     

Testing a model of suicide ideation in college students

This study examined several risk factors-negative life events (NLE), hopelessness, and depressive symptoms-believed to commonly precipitate suicide ideation in college students. A total of 345 undergraduates participated in the study. Students completed four self-report questionnaires. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to construct a risk model of suicide ideation. This study confirmed depressive symptoms and hopelessness as predictors of suicide ideation in college students; however, NLE impacted suicidal thoughts through hopelessness and depressive symptoms. Interestingly, depressive symptoms exerted a stronger influence on suicide ideation than hopelessness. Hopelessness served as a partial mediator in the relationship between NLE and depressive symptoms; however, depressive symptoms fully mediated the relationship between NLE and hopelessness. Clinical implications for understanding suicide risk in college students are discussed.     

Trait anxiety among students in a college golf class

This study examined trait anxiety among students (N=80) participating in a beginning golf activity class. Analysis showed no differences in anxiety scores by sex or playing experience; however, performance differences were noted as students with moderate scores performed better on golf evaluations than did those with high anxiety scores. Research should be directed to assess students' perceptions of anxiety and its effects.     

Grip strength and fatigue in junior college tennis players.

Change in grip strength over 30 trials was documented in two samples of junior college tennis players to assess possible fatigue. Eight men and eight women performed 30 maximum-grip strength tests with 25-sec. rests between trials. Significant positive correlations (.38 and .53 for men and women) were observed between grip strength and trials. In practical terms, grip strength did not change over 30 trials in these tennis players. The data suggested that the repetitive gripping patterns used by these players in tennis play resulted in consistent maximum-grip strengths across 30 trials.     

Measurement of social-evaluative anxiety in junior high school students

This paper provides some initial normative and validity data on the Social Avoidance and Distress (SAD) and the Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE) scales for junior high school students. Findings indicated: the level of social-evaluative anxiety does not significantly vary during the junior high school years or between sexes, junior high school students report similar levels of FNE to college students but less SAD, a significant positive correlation between treatment subjects' SAD scores and peer sociometric ratings of social-evaluative anxiety, and subjects treated for social anxiety reported significantly less SAD and FNE at follow-up assessment. Recommendations for future research and clinical use of the SAD and FNE are offered.