The management of sexual issues in adolescent treatment programs

Disturbed adolescents confined to inpatient treatment settings present special problems for the management of sexual behaviors. Ego impaired, delinquent, and autonomy-seeking adolescents provoke unique conflicts among their peers and staff. Staff's sexual anxiety caused by societal stereotypes of adolescents, inexperience with the techniques of unbiased observation and limit-setting, ignorance of normal adolescent development, and countertransference may lead to inadequate or inappropriate interventions. The authors describe the goals of a training program to reduce staff sexual anxiety: to develop a body of knowledge about the interaction between normal sexual development and psychopathology; to promote awareness about the staff's own feelings and the ways they influence observation and interaction; to lessen anxiety about self-exposure in the group setting; and to gain mutual support. Specific guidelines regarding effective staff interventions at an individual and group level are described. Alertness to the broad implications of sexuality in staff and patients and the necessity for careful monitoring of ward anxiety is emphasized.     

Fertility, menstrual characteristics, and contraceptive practices among white, black, and Southeast Asian refugee adolescents

This study compares fertility and menstrual characteristics and contraceptive practices of white, black, and Southeast Asian refugee adolescents participating in the Minneapolis Health Department's Maternal and Infant Care Program between 1980 and 1982. Mean ages were similar among all racial groups; however, half the Hmong adolescents had a live birth as compared to less than 25% of the other racial groups. More than 75% of the Hmong and other Southeast Asian adolescents were married as compared to 11% of the whites and 8% of the blacks. Menarche was significantly later (2 years) for Hmong and other Southeast Asians, and the interval between menarche and first pregnancy was significantly shorter for the Hmong. While more than half of the whites and blacks previously used contraception, 14% of the Hmong and 29% of the other Southeast Asians had used contraception. Oral contraceptives were the most frequently used method for whites, blacks, and Southeast Asians; the Hmong were equally likely to choose oral contraceptives or barrier methods. The Hmong were less likely to choose contraception postpartum than were the other groups.     

Compassion without illusion

This paper describes the present crisis in the mental health system relative to the chronically mentally ill. It asks how we can apply our usual social contract with the sick to noncompliant mental patients. The paper identifies some American assumptions about freedom and individualism that undermine a more effective response and offers alternative assumptions based on the Judeo-Christian tradition that may help resolve some difficulties.     

Smoking Behavior Development and Modification: An Empirical Application of Three Social Psychological Theories1

Three major social psychological theories were applied to data obtained in interviews with a random sample of 50 exsmokers and 50 smokers. The objective was to test the utility of these theories with respect to smoking behavior development and change. The results provided strong support for the hypotheses derived from reference group theory and partial support for the cognitive dissonance and psychoanalytic hypotheses.     

A Framework and Themes for Social Network Intervention

This paper is concerned with the development and application of social network concepts in clinical practice. A framework of network levels and sets for ordering data and observations is proposed; the phenomenon of truncated networks is considered and two emphases in network intervention (gathering and connecting forms) are proposed to conceptualize network characteristics and practice that follows from such characteristics. A number of current examples of network practice are placed within the framework, and several advantages of utilizing a network perspective as a complement to existing models of family therapy are noted.     

Social interest: Relating Adlerian psychology to Christian theology

Adlerian psychology begins with several assumptions congenial to the Judeo-Christian view of man-in-community. It views people holistically as responsibly pursuing goals in a social context. The social challenges of work, friendship and love hold the key to human well-being and are not incidental to it. Adlerians present some particularly helpful observations on the uses of guilt to avoid life's tasks.