Late Onset Alcoholism: Stress or Structure

We studied 60 men (M age = 63.6 years) from six midwest treatment centers to determine whether stress resulting from loss of social-psychological structures was greater for later onset alcoholics. Each subject completed a modified Veteran's Alcoholism Screening Test (V.A.S.T.; Magruder-Habib, Harris, & Franker, 1982) and the Drinking Practices Survey (Adams, 1990). They were then identified as early onset (problem drinking before age 40) and later onset (problem drinking after age 40). Cross tabulations using the chi-square statistic showed that more early onset alcoholics were married than later onset alcoholics. Of the social-psychological structures, only marital status showed a significant relationship with alcoholism. This seemed to confirm that the onset of problem drinking has less to do with stress than with the loss of a spouse who may serve to regulate the older man's drinking.     

Normal and Exceptional Children's Attitudes Toward Themselves and one Another

In this study 65 junior high school boys and girls (54 normal and 11 exceptional children) evaluated themselves most favorably, normal children as a group less favorably, and exceptional children as a group least favorably of all on the Personal Attribute Inventory for Children. This was so regardless of whether the respondents were normal or exceptional children. Since data were collected from mainstreamed classrooms, it appears that mainstreaming may not be directly deleterious to exceptional children's self-concepts, but has associated with it a negative stigma for exceptional children as a group for both exceptional and normal children. These findings, plus others reported previously, fail to demonstrate that mainstreaming in its present form may be an elixir for exceptional children's social-emotional difficulties.     

The Influence of Separation from the Mother on Children's Emotional Responses

This study concerns the relationship between alienation and the identity and role crisis in late adolescence. Two hundred and ninety adolescents (18-21 years) divided into age/sex and vocational role commitment groups were given the DJ Scale of Alienation: Self-Social Satisfaction (6). Two indexes were obtained: (a) Alienation (measured by Powerlessness and Self-Abasement) and (b) Self-Dissatisfaction (a measure of psychological disequilibrium). Powerlessness and Self-Abasement were not age/sex differentiated, whereas dissatisfaction-with-self for these attitudes was related to group differences. Young males were self-dissatisfied with their powerless status, and young females with their self-abasing attitudes. Findings were discussed in terms of the resolution of the psychological crisis and the end of the adolescent moratorium.     

Tele‐web Psychology in Rural South Australia: The Logistics of Setting Up a Remote University Clinic Staffed by Clinical Psychologists in Training

There is a significant shortage of clinical psychology services in rural and remote Australia. It is proposed that tele‐web psychology may provide one potential solution to this inequity in health provision. A tele‐web psychology project was developed through a partnership between a university and country health service setting in rural South Australia. Tele‐web psychology was conducted by Provisional Psychologists on their first clinical placement, with patients attending sessions in a community mental health team hub in a regional centre north of Adelaide. This article describes the logistics of setting up a collaborative tele‐web psychology service and makes recommendations on how to expedite the success of this type of venture.     

Exploring Adolescent Experiences with Disclosing Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Across Settings

Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology - Disclosure of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) is critical to current treatment and prevention programs. Limited research has...     

Decision-Making by Children and Young People in the Home: The Nurture of Trust,Participation and Independence

This article presents the findings of a qualitative research study of children and young people (aged 7–17 years) in Ireland. It seeks to investigate whether, for the children and young people involved, the home is a space where supportive, trusting family relationships can be nurtured; where independence grows with age; and where parents listen, discuss and explain decisions made. It furthermore outlines the views and experiences of parents with regard to children and young people’s participation in the home and will focus on relational and spatial aspects of child participation within the home. The study recognizes children and young people as social actors and is also informed by a relational and spatial approach to children’s participation which recognizes the respective roles and positions of children in facilitating child participation. The results indicate that age and issues of trust and tokenism were significant barriers in young people’s participation and decision making at home. Key enablers of children and young people’s participation included spaces where discussion can happen at home, good family relationships, being listened to by parents, trust and growing levels of independence with age, seeing decisions as fair and having the rationale for decisions explained to them by parents. Among suggestions for improvements the most important were designated family spaces for discussion, encouragement of active listening by parents, and promotion of explanation by adults of their decisions.