重新审视21世纪初期我国城市健康问题

随着我国城市化进程的加快,出现很多新的健康问题,突出表现在:生育率进一步下降;新、老空巢现象交错;城市边缘人群社会医学问题日趋彰显;文化冲突进一步加剧;城市公共安全问题突出。我们必须对上述问题予以足够重视,并开展针对性研究。     

AD/HD Symptoms and Conduct Problems: Similarities and Differences in Maternal Perceptions

Several theories attempt to explain the high co-occurrence of Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) and Conduct Problems (CP). A strong possibility is that AD/HD behaviours lead to the development of CP, due to family coercive interaction patterns, maintained through parental false beliefs regarding child problem behaviour. We compared maternal perceptions about AD/HD behaviors and CP, and the possible reactions elicited by such behaviours. The sample consisted of 317 mothers of boys and girls aged 4–6. Four versions of The Parental Account of the Causes of Childhood Problems Questionnaire were used, in which a vignette was ascribed to either a boy or a girl displaying some of the major AD/HD behaviours or CP. The results showed that CP were perceived as significantly more severe than AD/HD behaviours. Moreover, AD/HD behaviours were attributed to biological causes more often than CP, and less strict rearing practices were chosen for AD/HD symptoms. Our findings provide evidence that mothers usually perceive AD/HD behaviours and CP as separate entities and may behave accordingly with their children.     

Assessing Parenting Practices Through Parent-Report and Direct Observation During Parent-Training

The specific parenting domains measured by the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ) make it particularly relevant to interventions concerned with the modification of parenting practices. This study assessed the validity and clinical utility of parent reports on the APQ using observational data of parents and children (N=56, aged 4–8 years) participating in a parent training intervention for childhood conduct problems. Parent reports on the measure were found to converge well with observations of parents’ use of praise, and harsh/aversive parenting. APQ scores also reflected change in parenting practices across treatment, and were associated with clinical child outcomes. Comparisons of the five original APQ subscales with a three-factor empirically-derived form of the measure indicated greater support for the original subscales, which were found to be valid and clinically informative in the treatment of childhood conduct problems.     

Growth mixture modelling in developmental psychology: overview and demonstration of heterogeneity in developmental trajectories of adolescent antisocial behaviour

Recent advances in statistical techniques for longitudinal data analysis have provided increased capabilities for elucidating individual differences in trajectories of change in child behaviours and abilities. However, most techniques still assume that there is a single underlying distribution with respect to changes over time, about which children are normally distributed. If there are multiple subgroups of youth following distinct developmental trajectories with unique predictors, however, the results of these statistical techniques may provide an incomplete analysis of the data. A newer class of statistical techniques, latent growth mixture modelling, provides a robust framework for examining heterogeneity in patterns of development. This paper illustrates the use of latent growth mixture modelling for examining heterogeneity in developmental trajectories of adolescent antisocial behaviour. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An Ecological View of School Satisfaction in Adolescence: Linkages Between Social Support and Behavior Problems

This study investigated the relationships among school satisfaction, social support, and problem behaviors in adolescents. Modest associations were found between school satisfaction and the demographic variables of gender, race, age, and grade level. Support from teachers, parents, and classmates contributed unique variance to ratings of school satisfaction; with teacher support contributing the most unique variance. School satisfaction mediated the relationship between social support and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. School satisfaction did not moderate the relationship between social support and problem behavior; however, it did serve as a protective factor across all levels of social support. Implications are discussed, including suggestions for developing interventions that focus on increasing support for adolescents in efforts to improve school satisfaction and reduce problem behaviors.     

Theft reduction in a grocery store through product identification and graphing of losses for employees

Shoplifting and employee theft constitute a major problem for retailers. Previous research has described techniques for effectively reducing either type of theft but has not addressed the problem of thefts of unspecified origin. In a grocery store we evaluated the effect of identifying for employees frequently stolen products from three groups of items and graphing, twice weekly in the lunchroom, losses for the separate groups. After the products were identified and losses graphed, thefts from the three groups dropped from eight per day to two per day.     

Effects of group response-cost procedures on cash shortages in a small business

The effect of a group response-cost procedure (accompanied by verbal and written instruction) designed to decrease cash shortages in a small business was evaluated with a reversal design. When cash shortages were subtracted from the six employees' salaries on days in which the shortage exceeded 1% of total daily sales, the magnitude of daily shortages sharply decreased. This response-cost contingency was used only three times throughout the study, with a maximum cost of $8.70 per subject over the 41-day period. The efficacy of the procedures may be due to either increased precision in change calculations, a decreased frequency of stealing from the cash register, increased shortchanging of customers, and/or increased incidents of register under-ringing. Ethical questions relative to the utilization of group punishment procedures are raised, and it was concluded that the procedures used were more humane than commonly used alternatives.     

A structured approach to disengagement in family therapy with child-focused problems

The aim of this paper is to describe a structured approach to managing the disengagement process. Six distinct disengagement scenarios are first outlined. Thereafter, phasing out therapy, dealing with family belief systems concerning the permanence of improvements and relapse management are discussed. Ways in which disengagement from specific episodes of therapy may be construed as part of an ongoing therapeutic relationship and the practicalities of recontracting for further episodes of therapy, handing over cases, and referring cases on to other professionals are considered. An approach to therapeutic failure analysis is presented. Finally, ways in which disengagement may lead to significant loss experiences are discussed.     

Differential patterns of post-shelter placement as a function of problem type and severity

Changes in placement restrictiveness, as a function of problem type and severity, were examined in a sample of 154 children departing a shelter for runaway and homeless youth. Six problem types were identified using a principal components analysis of youth-reported personal and family problems. Four of the six factors obtained represented youth problem types interpreted as reflecting antisocial/conduct problems, victimization by abuse, risk of suicide, and rebellious youth behaviors. The two remaining problem types were interpreted as a chaotic/aggressive family type and a mixed pattern of youth aggression and parental skill deficiency. An analysis of the problem types indicated that youth at higher risk for suicide, and those who came from more dysfunctional families, departed to living environments that were more restrictive than their placements at entry.     

BRIEF HIERARCHICAL ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL TREATMENT COMPONENTS WITH CHILDREN IN AN OUTPATIENT CLINIC

Seven parents conducted assessments in an outpatient clinic using a prescribed hierarchy of antecedent and consequence treatment components for their children's problem behavior. Brief assessment of potential treatment components was conducted to identify variables that controlled the children's appropriate behavior. Experimental control via a brief reversal was achieved for 6 of the 7 children, (1 child continued to behave appropriately following initial improvement in behavior). For these 6 children, improved behavior occurred with changes in treatment components. Our results extend previous studies of direct assessment procedures conducted in outpatient clinic settings.