Coventry university students’ experience of mental health problems

Growing numbers of university students are reporting mental health problems and using counselling services. The purpose of this study was to examine Coventry University students’ experience of mental health problems. The Department of Health (DoH) Mental Health Survey questionnaire (2003) was used to examine the experience of mental health problems and help seeking behaviour. Within the last 12 months nearly three quarters of students had experienced anxious or depressed moods, or, personal, mental, nervous or emotional problems, with a third of students failing to seek help. Ethnic minority students were more likely to report problems and less likely to seek help when compared to white students. Male students were less likely to seek help compared to female students. There are few existing studies that have focused on the mental health of students at universities established after 1992 from existing polytechnics. Coventry University exceeds the Government benchmark targets for recruiting students from non-traditional backgrounds. Our results show that it is these groups of students who are more likely to experience mental health problems.     

Disordered Gambling and Its Treatment

Pathological gambling is an increasing concern with the growth of legalized gambling opportunities, and clinicians who provide general psychotherapy, as well as those specializing in some disorders, are likely to encounter patients with gambling problems. This review article describes the diagnostic criteria for pathological gambling and screening methods for identifying individuals with gambling problems. Problem and pathological gambling are more likely to occur in certain populations, such as among individuals with substance use, mood and anxiety disorders, and medical problems. However, few pathological gamblers seek specialized gambling treatment. This paper reviews different forms of treatments that have been applied to gamblers, along with evidence of their efficacy. Clinical guidelines for identifying and treating gambling problems are outlined as well.     

Comorbidity of Symptoms Among Junior and Senior High School Suicide Attempters

This paper examines comorbidity among depressive symptoms, conduct problems, and alcohol and drug abuse, in a sample of 1050 junior and senior high school students. Adolescents reporting high levels of depression along with either alcohol abuse or conduct problems were more likely to have made a suicide attempt than were adolescents reporting only one of these disorders. Adolescents reporting comorbid drug abuse plus either depression or conduct problems were more likely to have made a prior suicide attempt than those reporting only depression or conduct problems without drug abuse. The findings are discussed in the context of the literature on comorbidity and suicide attempts in community and clinical samples.     

Father absence and adolescent "problem behaviors": alcohol consumption, drug use and sexual activity

Among the issues faced by adolescents are problems relating to alcohol consumption, drug use, and sexual behavior. A survey of 813 adolescents found that adolescents are most likely to discuss these problems with peers and least likely to discuss them with parents, especially fathers. However, father absence from the home resulted in greater use of and problems with alcohol, marijuana, and sexual activity. This was the case especially for boys. The results obtained underscore the significance of the father as a key figure in the transmission of values and as a deterrent to certain behaviors. The results point to adolescents from fatherless homes, especially boys, as being at risk for problems in the areas noted. This suggests that community agencies providing services to adolescents should make special efforts to incorporate into their programs specially designed services to meet the particular needs of this group. Aspects of such programs are discussed.     

Linking adult psychopathy with childhood hyperactivity-impulsivity-attention problems and conduct problems through retrospective self-reports

The purpose of the present study was to test whether adult criminals with psychopathy diagnoses, more than those without, have histories of hyperactivity-impulsivity-attention problems (HIA) and conduct problems (CP). We compared psychopathic and nonpsychopathic violent criminal offenders on retrospective reports of conduct problems before the age of 15 and hyperactivity-impulsivity-attention problems before the age of 10. We used a sample of 186 adult men sentenced to prison in Sweden for 4 years or more for violent, nonsexual crimes. The mean age was 30.7( SD = 9.4). The results showed that a combination of childhood HIA problems and CP was typical for adult psychopathic offenders. They were four times more likely than chance to have had a combination of HIA problems and CP during childhood and only one-fifth as likely than chance to have had neither problem. Nonpsychopathic offenders, on the other hand, were five times more likely than chance to have had neither problem and only one-quarter as likely than chance to have had both problems.     

Characteristics of seriously emotionally disturbed youth with and without substance abuse in intensive case management

Youth with emotional disturbance who have substance abuse problems are of particular concern to child-serving agencies. Approximately 22% of the youth served in New York State's Intensive Case Management Program for Children and Youth (CYICM) have identified substance abuse problems. We compared youths enrolled in CYICM who abuse substances with those who do not abuse substances. Adolescents with substance abuse problems differed from non-abusing adolescents. The abusing cohort was most likely to be emancipated minors, not enrolled in school, less likely to be members of a minority group, and more likely to have private health care coverage. They also evidenced a different constellation of symptoms than the non-abusing cohort, with abusers tending to display suicidal symptoms and behaviors and sexual acting out. Abusers were also more likely to have been admitted to private psychiatric hospitals and to have had crisis contacts in emergency rooms. Similar to non-abusers, however, abusers spent significantly fewer days as inpatients in state hospitals, and had fewer admissions to these hospitals following their enrollment in CYICM.     

Interpersonal Relationships and Sex Differences in the Development of Conduct Problems

This article investigates the role of interpersonal relationships in shaping sex differences in the manifestation, etiology, and developmental course of conduct problems and their treatment needs. The review examines whether: (1) Girls conduct problems are more likely than boys to manifest as a function of disrupted relationships with caretakers and peers; (2) For girls more than for boys, the outcomes of conduct problems in adolescence and adulthood, and related treatment needs, are more likely to be a consequence of the quality of interpersonal relationships with others, particularly opposite-sex peers and partners. Evidence reviewed suggests that boys and girls share many similarities in their expression of conduct problems, but that a relational perspective does unify important differences. There is fair evidence that girls with conduct problems are more likely to come to the attention of authorities because of chaotic, unstable family relationships, and to express antisocial behavior in the context of close relationships; there is stronger evidence that the course and outcomes of conduct problems in females versus males pertain to interpersonal relationship impairments. Those sex differences map onto specific differences in treatment needs. Further empirical testing of the proposed relational model is indicated.     

Selecting analogous problems: Similarity versus inclusiveness

Students were asked to select one of two analogous problems in order to solve algebra word problems. In Experiment 1, one problem was less inclusive and the other was more inclusive than a test problem. The students judged the complexity and similarity of problems, selected analogous problems, and used the solutions to solve test problems. They performed significantly better on the test problems when given the more inclusive solutions, but used perceived similarity rather than inclusiveness to select analogous problems. The same pattern of results occurred in Experiment 2, in which isomorphic problems replaced the more inclusive problems. The results show that students are deficient in selecting good analogies, both from the same category (Experiment 1) and from a different category (Experiment 2). Students who saw the analogous solutions (Experiment 3) or were majoring in mathematics (Experiment 4) were more likely to select an isomorphic problem over a less inclusive problem, but were not more likely to select a more inclusive over a less inclusive problem.     

Emotion Knowledge and Attention Problems in Young Children: a Cross-Lagged Panel Study on the Direction of Effects

Attention problems are likely to hinder children in acquiring knowledge of their own and others’ emotions. Children with little knowledge of emotions tend to have difficulties with representing emotions, interpreting them, and sharing them, so that they are likely to spend more time in making sense of them and may thus appear to be inattentive. In order to disentangle the direction of effects between emotion knowledge and attention problems, 576 four- to- six-year-olds were interviewed at T1 and about 12 months later (T2) about their emotion knowledge. Their kindergarten teachers rated their attention problems, and their conduct problems at T1 and T2. A cross-lagged panel model indicates that children’s emotion knowledge at T1 contributed to the explanation of their attention problems at T2, after language ability and attention problems at T1 were controlled. The other cross-path from attention problems (T1) to emotion knowledge (T2) was not significant. Adding gender, behavioral self-regulation, working memory, conduct problems, or SES as alternative explanations by third variables did not alter this direction of effects. How emotion knowledge impinges on attention problems is discussed.     

Diagnostic status and symptomatic behavior of hard-to-manage preschool children in middle childhood and early adolescence

Followed 2 cohorts of hard-to-manage preschool children and comparison children without early problems to middle childhood and early adolescence. Children with early problems, especially problems that were still evident at school entry, were more likely to meet diagnostic criteria for an externalizing diagnosis at follow-up. Hard-to-manage children in Cohort 1 with problems that persisted from ages 3 through 9 years were much more likely to meet diagnostic criteria at age 13 than children whose early problems were less stable in elementary school. Similarly, hard-to-manage boys in Cohort 2 whose problems persisted at age 6 were more likely to meet criteria for an externalizing diagnosis at age 9 than hard-to-manage boys whose problems appeared less stable at age 6. Across cohorts, children with persistent problems had higher levels of symptoms and more varied symptoms at ages 3 and 4 and over the course of development.     

Anatomy Responses in the Rorschach Test

Investigated medical and psychological help-seeking attitudes and behaviors as a function of liberal-conservative attitudes toward women. Subjects participated in a structured interview concerning their attitudes toward and experiences with physicians and psychotherapists, and completed the Attitudes toward Women Scale. Compared to conservatives, liberals readily seek mental health services, stay in psychotherapy longer, and have relatively negative attitudes toward physicians in general. Conservatives endorse positive attitudes toward seeking psychological help but are less likely to visit a psychotherapist for psychological problems and more likely to have a physician available to consult about medical problems. The study suggests differential help-seeking tendencies among liberals and conservatives for medical and psychological problems, and affirms the utility of the Attitudes toward Women Scale in predicting such tendencies.     

WOMEN, HOMELESSNESS, AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE Moving Beyond the Stereotypes

This study examined the characteristics of homeless women with sub stance abuse problems. Data were collected on a sample of 323 home less substance abusers. First, 49 women and 274 men were compared to demonstrate distinct problems and treatment needs of the women. Results showed that the women were more likely than the men to abuse drugs, but less likely to receive substance abuse treatment. In addition, women spent more time in doubled-up living arrangements, and were more likely to receive outpatient psychiatric treatment. Second, two subgroups of women were compared: those who had been homeless for 6 months or less, and those who had been homeless longer than 6 months during their lifetime. The women who had been homeless longer were less educated, younger when they first became homeless, and were more likely to abuse alcohol, to have been assaulted, and to have attempted suicide. Implications for research and treatment are discussed.     

Unemployment and Health: Selection Effects

A large number of studies have shown that the unemployed are less healthy, both physically and psychologically, than the employed. The explanation may be that unemployment has negative health effects. An alternative, or additional, explanation is that healthy persons are less likely to become unemployed or more likely to find new employment if they become unemployed. Such effects of health on employment status are generally referred to as selection effects. The present paper analyses to what extent such selection effects are present in the Norwegian labour market. Panel data with observations made in 1989 and 1993 are used. The analyses show that people with psychological problems are more likely to be laid off, and there is also some evidence that psychological or physical health problems may reduce the chances of finding a new job if one has become unemployed. It is of particular interest that these selection effects can be documented for a country like Norway, which has strong legislation supporting worker rights and a quite high degree of unionization.     

Relation of Age of Onset to the Type and Severity of Child and Adolescent Conduct Problems

In a cross-sectional household sample of 9-through 17-year-old youths from 4 U.S. communities, youths with earlier ages of onset of conduct problems engaged in more conduct problems than youths with later ages of onset when current age and gender were controlled. Specifically, youths with earlier ages of onset were more likely to engage in several types of physical aggression, frequent lying, theft, and vandalism and were less likely to engage in only truancy. There also was an inverse relation between age of onset and level of functional impairment, mental health service use, and meeting diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder. Within the limits of cross-sectional data, these results support the hypothesis that key aspects of the heterogeneity of conduct problems among youths are related to the age of onset of conduct problems.     

Current Developments in Computer-Assisted Careers Guidance in the USA

Four factors associated with the design and use of computer-assisted careers guidance (CACG) systems in the USA are reviewed, and likely future developments in the field are described. The four major factors include trends in CACG system development, problems related to system development, trends in system use, and problems related to system use. International collaboration in the design and use of CACG systems is identified as one possible strategy for dealing with problems in this area.     

Knowledge in transition: Adults' developing understanding of a principle of physical causality

What are the conditions that make it likely that cognitive change will occur? We investigate this issue with respect to 25 college students' developing understanding of gear movement (a particular problem in the domain of physical causation). The participants solved problems, then received minimal instruction, and solved additional problems. Significantly, only some of the participants changed their approach to solving the problems after receiving instruction; the remainder of the participants were stable in their understanding and either continued to solve all problems correctly or continued to solve key problems incorrectly. Most analyses focused on the participants who began by solving problems incorrectly. In particular, we attempted to differentiate those participants who exhibited cognitive change from those who did not. To do this, we examined precursors of knowledge change that were motivated by different theoretical positions on mechanisms of cognitive change and development (i.e., consideration of multiple approaches, cognitive conflict, and instruction as an example of a sociocultural process). Results suggest that having multiple approaches available and using instructional information to build on not-well-developed conceptions are likely candidates for understanding knowledge change for adult participants with respect to their developing understanding of physical causality.     

Predicting Treatment Success in Child and Parent Therapy Among Families in Poverty

Behavior problems are prevalent in young children and those living in poverty are at increased risk for stable, high-intensity behavioral problems. Research has demonstrated that participation in child and parent therapy (CPT) programs significantly reduces problematic child behaviors while increasing positive behaviors. However, CPT programs, particularly those implemented with low-income populations, frequently report high rates of attrition (over 50%). Parental attributional style has shown some promise as a contributing factor to treatment attendance and termination in previous research. The authors examined if parental attributional style could predict treatment success in a CPT program, specifically targeting low-income urban children with behavior problems. A hierarchical logistic regression was used with a sample of 425 families to assess if parent- and child-referent attributions variables predicted treatment success over and above demographic variables and symptom severity. Parent-referent attributions, child-referent attributions, and child symptom severity were found to be significant predictors of treatment success. Results indicated that caregivers who viewed themselves as a contributing factor for their child's behavior problems were significantly more likely to demonstrate treatment success. Alternatively, caregivers who viewed their child as more responsible for their own behavior problems were less likely to demonstrate treatment success. Additionally, more severe behavior problems were also predictive of treatment success. Clinical and research implications of these results are discussed.     

Adolescents', parents', and teachers' distress over adolescents' behavior

This study evaluated adolescents', parents', and teachers' self-reported distress and wishes to change adolescents' emotional/behavioral problems in a sample of clinically referred adolescents. Parents reported being bothered more than adolescents or teachers by adolescents' internalizing behavior. Both parents and teachers rated adolescents' externalizing behavior as more bothersome than did adolescents. Adolescents were significantly less likely to want to change their behavior than were parents or teachers. In addition, adolescents were significantly more likely to want to change their internalizing problems than their externalizing problems. For all three informants, being bothered by adolescents' behaviors was strongly associated with a desire to change the behaviors. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.The authors wish to thank John Iriye and Alisa Waldman for their invaluable help as research assistants.     

Self-reported problems: a comparison between PTSD-diagnosed veterans,their spouses,and clinicians

This study investigated self-reported problems in a sample of help-seeking Vietnam veterans, comparing the veteran's own view with clinician and spouse perspectives, with the aim of examining convergence in reports across different informants. Veterans with PTSD (N = 459) were asked to list and rate their five most serious problems. Spouses and treating clinicians completed the same questionnaire in relation to the veteran. Rates of endorsement for each problem area, and levels of agreement between raters, were calculated. Veterans, spouses, and clinicians were all likely to rate anger as a high priority, with veterans also likely to nominate anxiety and depression. Spouses were likely to nominate more observable behavioural problems such as interpersonal difficulties and avoidance, while clinicians were likely to nominate indications of psychopathology, such as anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts. Agreement across raters was generally high, although interpretation of agreement levels was complex.     

心理定势现象的认知神经机制

问题解决活动中的心理定势,是指人们固执地沿用熟悉方案、忽略其他方案的反应倾向。它可能源于人们已经掌握的陈述性知识,也可能源于程序性知识,两类不同来源的心理定势的发生条件和影响效果都不尽相同。然而,过往的研究都没有做出严格区分。本文通过梳理相关研究,描述心理定势现象,解释心理定势是怎么发生的,分析心理定势是在什么条件下发生的、会对心理与行为活动造成什么样的影响,从而评述两种来源的心理定势的认知神经机制,指出尚未解决的科学问题。