Toward an empirical taxonomy of suicide ideation: a cluster analysis of the youth risk behavior survey

In this study we examined adolescent risk behaviors, giving special attention to suicide ideation. Cluster analysis was used to classify adolescents (N = 2,730) on the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Six clusters of adolescent risk behavior were identified. Although each risk cluster was distinct, some clusters shared overlapping risk behaviors. Suicide ideation was central to two clusters: the Silent Suicide cluster and the Multiple Risk cluster. The findings demonstrate that suicide ideation is both a unique risk behavior for some adolescents and part of a generalized risk syndrome for other adolescents. A multiple subgroup framework is recommended for understanding adolescent risk behaviors.     

Dry bed: A rapid method of eliminating bedwetting (enuresis) of the retarded

Bedwetting has been a major and unsolved problem for the severely retarded. To solve this problem, an intensive training program was designed similar to a recently developed program for daytime toilet training of the retarded. Some distinctive features of the new procedure were frequent positive reinforcement for correct toileting, a negative reinforcer for accidents, positive practice in night time toileting, increased level of urination by forcing drinking, immediate detection of correct and incorrect toileting, and Positive Practice for accidents. Of twelve retarded adult bedwetters, the average bedwetter required only one night of intensive training. Several days of apparatus monitoring were used following the training but proved unnecessary for two-thirds of the trainees. Accidents were reduced by about 85 % during the first week after training, and almost entirely (95%) during the fifth week with no relapse during a 3 month follow-up. No reduction of accidents resulted when the same bedwetters were given a control procedure that provided no positive or negative reactions other than the sounding of an alarm upon bedwetting. The Dry-Bed procedure appears to be a very rapid solution to the problem of enuresis among the retarded and may be applicable to other difficult populations and also to normals.     

The relationship between identity, intimacy, and midlife well-being: findings from the Rochester Adult Longitudinal Study

The present study used longitudinal data on 182 adults between the ages of 20 and 54 (104 men, 78 women) from the Rochester Adult Longitudinal Study (RALS), assessed on four occasions, to test the hypothesis that identity and intimacy during the course of early and middle adulthood predict well-being at midlife. A cross-lagged panel model was estimated yielding the following findings: (a) Scores on both scales during the college years predicted midlife satisfaction-intimacy directly, and identity through the course of development from ages 20 to 54; moreover, identity in midlife, but not intimacy, was significantly linked with well-being at this same point in time; and (b) identity and intimacy unexpectedly did not predict one another over time, having been controlled for factor stability in identity and intimacy over time. The findings are discussed in terms of Erikson's psychosocial theory of development and the developmental moments and historical cohorts that characterize the present sample.     

Gender differences in the age-changing relationship between instrumentality and family contact in emerging adulthood

Data from the Children in the Community Transitions Study were used to examine gender differences in the impact of family contact on the development of finance and romance instrumentality from ages 17 to 27 years. Family contact decreased among both men and women across emerging adulthood, although it decreased more rapidly in men than in women. Both finance and romance instrumentality increased for men and women across emerging adulthood. The growth rate did not differ between men and women in either domain, although men tended to be characterized by higher levels of instrumentality than women. There were noteworthy gender differences in the impact of family contact on the development of instrumentality. At age 17, family contact was negatively associated with instrumentality for both men and women; at age 27, the impact of family contact on instrumentality was less negative for women and was positive for men.     

Social role and birth cohort influences on gender-linked personality traits in women: a 20-year longitudinal analysis

Growth curve modeling was used to examine the impact of social role experiences (e.g., marital support, occupational prestige) and birth cohort on mean-level differences and age-related changes in positive personality traits indicative of either femininity or masculinity in 758 mothers heterogeneous in age, assessed 4 times over 2 decades. Both femininity and masculinity increased significantly from mean ages 39 through 59; each was predictive of an age change in the other. Low masculinity was associated with a more rapid increase in femininity, whereas high occupational prestige decreased the magnitude of association between masculinity and femininity. Femininity increased with more marital support but decreased with unmarried status, more children at home, and working full or part time; among full-time workers, that effect was modified by marital support. Masculinity increased with full-time work and high occupational prestige. A trend for differing levels of femininity, and contrasting associations of masculinity with femininity and marital conflict in women born after 1944 compared with those born earlier, suggests shifting social norms and gender relations in the marital role.     

Smoking on School Property as a Risk Factor for Substance Use Among Adolescent Smokers

The purpose of the current study was to determine if smoking on high-school property was associated with increased risk for other substance use among U.S. adolescents. Secondary analyses were carried out with data from the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS, N = 15,503). Only adolescents who reported smoking at least one cigarette in the last 30 days were selected for analyses (n = 2531, 44% female). Alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine use was assessed among participants. Binary logistic regression analysis was carried out to examine the relationship between smoking on school property (yes versus no) with each of the substance use variables. Adolescent smokers who reported smoking on school property were significantly more likely to report substance use across all substances examined compared to smokers who did not smoke on campus. For example, campus smokers were 3.91 times more likely to use marijuana in their lifetime and 3.85 times more likely to have used crack or cocaine in their lifetime compared to smokers who did not smoke on campus. Health care providers who provide services to adolescents should screen for smoking on school property to help identify adolescents at increased risk for substance use.