Parent and Teen Perceptions Regarding Parental Efforts at Controlling Teen Drunk Driving1

This research examined the potential utility of a parental control technique to prevent adolescent drunk driving by identifying parent and teen sources of resistance to an ignition interlock system. The research also examined the theoretical issue of parental control over adolescents by identifying factors parents consider when deciding to use a control technique. Parent and teen receptivity to the interlock was examined in relation to teen drunk driving. General parental control orientations (controlling vs. permissive) were examined in relation to the factors that influence parental decisions to implement such a control technique. Factors related to sources of reluctance to use the device were also examined. The findings revealed that parents were generally ambivalent toward the interlock. In contrast, teens responses varied, with approximately 20% of the sample reporting favorable attitudes toward having an interlock installed in the their cars. In addition, both parents and teens expressed concern about how the interlock would affect their relationship with each other. Finally, controlling parents tended to place less emphasis on the perceived effectiveness of the control technique when forming their attitudes toward its implementation compared to permissive parents. The findings are discussed in the context of prevention efforts for adolescent drunk driving.     

Stress management at work: With whom,for whom and to what ends?

A critical overview is presented of workplace stress-management interventions. It is suggested that they have so far failed to deliver what they have promised. Evaluation studies fail to distinguish between the aims and objectives of primary prevention interventions, such as stress-management training, where potential benefits can only be assessed in terms of long-term outcomes, and secondary and tertiary interventions, such as counselling, where existing disorders are treated. Stress-management interventions are based on inadequate and oversimplistic theories which obscure the many conflicting interests of employees, employers and researchers, and ignore empirical evidence which suggests that individual well-being, attitudes to work, and work behaviours are minimally linked. It is suggested that alleviating the problems that people experience at work will remain elusive unless the conceptual problems in occupational stress are more fully acknowledged.     

Family therapy in general practice: 'We have a clinic here on Friday afternoon …'

General practice is an obvious but relatively untried context within which to practise family therapy. This paper describes the development of a family therapy clinic within a group general practice and considers the influence of the practice setting on the practical style and theoretical approach of the family therapy team. The influence of the clinic on the referring habits and on the consulting style of the GPs is also considered in the context of the changes taking place in the organization of general practice.     

Allergic disorders and attention deficit disorder in children

It has been suggested that children with attention deficit disorder-hyperactivity (ADDH) are likely to show allergic disorders, and that both ADDH and allergic disorders may share a common biological background. In a large sample of children from the general population we found no association between parent, teacher, and self-reports of ADDH behaviors and a history of allergic disorders (asthma, eczema, rhinitis, and urticaria) at ages 9 or 13 years. Similarly, reports of ADDH behaviors at age 13 years were not related to level of atopic responsiveness by skin test or serum IgE levels. Our findings call into question the hypothesis that there is a relationship between ADDH and allergic disorder.The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit is supported by the Health Research Council of New Zealand, and involves several departments of the University of Otago. The authors are indebted to the many people whose contributions made this study possible, and in particular the members of the sample and their parents.     

Are girls with problems of attention underrecognized?

There is a generally held belief that disorders of attention (e.g., ADHD) are to be found primarily among boys, not girls. We question the evidence relating to sex differences in the prevalence of attentional disorders and suggest possible reasons why reported sex differences appear limited to teacher ratings. An examination of the admittedly scarce literature on correlates of ADHD behaviors suggests no strong evidence for sex differences in the pattern of developmental, attentional and background correlates. We recommend the use of sex-specific norms and diagnostic criteria to identify girls with problems of attention and our plea is for more research to examine the nature of attention deficits in girls.     

Multimedia instructions and cognitive load theory: Effects of modality and cueing

Background: Recent research on the influence of presentation format on the effectiveness of multimedia instructions has yielded some interesting results. According to cognitive load theory (Sweller, Van Merriënboer, & Paas, 1998) and Mayer's theory of multimedia learning (Mayer, 2001), replacing visual text with spoken text (the modality effect) and adding visual cues relating elements of a picture to the text (the cueing effect) both increase the effectiveness of multimedia instructions in terms of better learning results or less mental effort spent. Aims: The aim of this study was to test the generalisability of the modality and cueing effect in a classroom setting. Sample: The participants were 111 second‐year students from the Department of Education at the University of Gent in Belgium (age between 19 and 25 years). Method: The participants studied a web‐based multimedia lesson on instructional design for about one hour. Afterwards they completed a retention and a transfer test. During both the instruction and the tests, self‐report measures of mental effort were administered. Results: Adding visual cues to the pictures resulted in higher retention scores, while replacing visual text with spoken text resulted in lower retention and transfer scores. Conclusions: Only a weak cueing effect and even a reverse modality effect have been found, indicating that both effects do not easily generalise to non‐laboratory settings. A possible explanation for the reversed modality effect is that the multimedia instructions in this study were learner‐paced, as opposed to the system‐paced instructions used in earlier research.     

Student mental health: how can psychiatrists better support the work of university medical centres and university counselling services?

Student psychiatric morbidity is rising. Whilst the influence of university counselling services is widely reported, NHS involvement by psychiatrists and general practitioners is not so well described. Counselling and mental health service providers for students at the University of Leeds were approached for numerical data and a university Group on Student Mental Health discussed the findings. The Student Counselling Centre, the University Medical Practice and a dedicated student psychiatric clinic have all seen a rise in referral rates. The University Medical Practice has also seen a rise in the prescribing of psychoactive medication. Collaborative links at the University of Leeds are explored and options for the future discussed. These include self-help over the internet, a research project to assess student mental health needs and the provision of a dedicated NHS psychiatric team for the university.     

Ethnic Diversity and Differential Policing in Australia: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

This paper focuses on three models of policing that have variously been exercised in relation to ethnic minority young people in Australia. As part of this, the paper critically explores policing that is primarily based upon coercion (‘the bad’), and, at its worst, explicitly discriminatory forms of zero tolerance (‘the ugly’), and compares these with police interventions that favour a more constructive and positive community-based approach (‘the good’). The paper provides a comprehensive review of literature on police–ethnic minority youth relations in the Australian context, as well as indicating recent strategic developments within police services around the country.     

Spiritual Psychotherapy for Antisocial and Psychopathic Personalities: Some Theoretical Building Blocks

Until now a profound theoretical model for spiritual psychotherapy, which is constructed specifically for nonreligious antisocial and psychopathic patients who have spiritual and philosophical interests, is missing. In this paper some important theoretical issues with respect to spiritual psychotherapy for antisocial and psychopathic patients will be discussed such as the links between spirituality on one hand and authenticity, vanity; emotional, moral, and social capacity; reality testing; creativity; and faith in life on the other. Furthermore, the spiritual psychotherapist's attitude towards his or her patients will be explored.     

The Influence of Affective and Instrumental Beliefs on Exercise Intentions and Behavior: A Longitudinal Analysis

Programs encouraging exercise might reduce coronary illness. Ajzen's theory of planned behavior is a useful model for understanding exercise motivation. The current study investigated the contribution of the instrumental and affective components of attitude. As part of a community-based study of exercise behavior, 424 men and 572 women completed questionnaires, with 365 participants providing 6-month follow-up data. Regressions highlighted the affective component as a much more powerful predictor of intention compared to the instrumental component. After controlling for prior exercise, intention was not predictive of later exercise, although the affective component was. The implications for exercise promotion are discussed.