School psychologists and assessment in the future.

Reviews concerns about current assessment procedures in school psychology. The most important suggested change in assessment is the outcomes criterion, which is proposed as a solution to the dilemma of eliminating bias. Other changes that are likely to result from the outcomes criterion are trends involving reforms in the classification system, reduced level of inference, closer link between assessment and intervention, and increased use of behavioral approaches. New areas of assessment, such as adaptive behavior and sociocultural background, are discussed. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

HIV/AIDS training and continuing education for psychologists.

The HIV infection and AIDS pandemic presents professional disciplines, including psychology, with unique challenges. The authors review the literature on education concerning HIV/AIDS in doctoral psychology programs, internships, and continuing education efforts in psychology and other disciplines. Recommendations are offered regarding the process and content of continuing education for psychologists regarding HIV and AIDS. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

School psychologists in the correctional system: Preliminary exploration.

The specialty of school psychology has traditionally been confined to public school settings. Currently, there exists minimal information in the professional literature on the role of school psychologists in nontraditional settings. This investigation was designed to explore the nature of the job and the function of school psychologists employed in correctional facilities. Preliminary data collected from 21 states are presented. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the profession and suggest a need for greater research on nontraditional employment patterns within the specialty of school psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attitudes of psychologists in training toward persons with AIDS.

Clinical and counseling graduate students (N?=?266) from 8 different universities read a vignette that described a hypothetical patient as having either AIDS or leukemia. These psychologists in training then completed a scale that measured attitudes toward the hypothetical patient. Results indicated that psychologists in training had some attitudes toward AIDS patients that were less positive than their attitudes toward identically described leukemia patients. However, psychologists in training were more willing to interact with AIDS patients and to accept them as psychotherapy clients than were psychologists studied in earlier research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

School psychologists in forensic psychology: Converging and diverging issues.

Forensic school psychologists working with mentally disordered offenders and behavior-disordered youth in psychiatric and correctional facilities face unique challenges. Psychological resources are typically inadequate, and the comprehensive roles of school psychologists are frequently misunderstood. In this article, the unique character of forensic work facing school psychologists is discussed, and similarities and contrasts between public school and forensic practitioners are outlined. Recommendations and implications for preservice training for school psychologists interested in the forensic subspecialization are outlined and discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Living and working overseas: School psychologists in American international schools.

Discusses American international schools and work activities for school psychologists overseas. Practical information is presented on how to secure employment overseas through placement agencies. The pressures and advantages of living overseas, within the context of work conditions and personal characteristics, are reviewed for school psychologists in the US. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The AIDS epidemic and commercial plasmapheresis

In 1986 an epidemic of HIV infection among paid plasma donors was identified in Mexico; paid donors were iatrogenically infected in a plasmapheresis center. These paid donors sold both plasma and blood: they provided one-third of blood consumed in 1986. This led to infection of blood recipients, mainly women of childbearing age. Blood transfusion is the leading cause of AIDS in women in Mexico. The male:female ratio decreased from 30:1 in 1986 to 5:1 1990; that coincided with the increase of transfusion-associated AIDS cases. Mexico prohibited the blood trade in 1987, ending the epidemic in paid donors and recipients. latrogenic infection of paid donors in plasmapheresis facilities could help to explain the explosive AIDS epidemic in central Africa and Haiti in the 1980s. There is a temporal and geographical coincidence in the early eighties between that AIDS epidemic, high numbers of hepatitis B asymptomatic carriers and an increased production of serum inactivated hepatitis B vaccine. Plasmapheresis facilities in these developing countries may have taken advantage of the high prevalence of hepatitis B asymptomatic carriers in their populations to obtain plasma for exportation through brokers to developed countries where the vaccine and other plasma products were manufactured. This hypothesis is relevant to establishing preventive policies and warrants further investigation.     

School psychologists serving at-risk and handicapped infants, toddlers, and their families.

Discusses early intervention, the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986 (PL 99-457), Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP), multidisciplinary teams, case management, and the school psychologist's role in providing full educational services to at-risk and handicapped infants, toddlers, and their families. It is anticipated that the school psychologist will play a role in home and family problems, emotional and behavior concerns, and academic issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

School psychologists as consultants: Issues in training, practice, and accountability.

From contemporary research and theory in mental health consultation, implications are drawn for the development of an indirect service role for school psychologists. Attention is given to the need for training school psychologists in consultation skills, to the obstacles encountered in the initiation of consultative relationships, and to methods for assessing efficiency and effectiveness of a variety of consultative activities. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An epidemic of stigma: Public reactions to AIDS.

The AIDS epidemic has been accompanied by intensely negative public reactions to persons presumed to be infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In this article, we define such reactions as AIDS-related stigma. We discuss two major sources of this stigma: the identification of AIDS as a deadly disease and the association of AIDS in the United States with already stigmatized groups, especially gay men. We describe some of the social and psychological processes that contribute to AIDS-related stigma and offer suggestions for eradicating stigma through public policy and individual education. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

School psychologists and Public Law 94-142: A clarification of implications.

Discusses the article by J. B. Franzoni and W. Jones (1981) in which they emphasized the need for special training of school psychologists in the administration and interpretation of projective techniques for diagnosing severe emotional disturbance. It is pointed out here that the current trend in school-based assessment is toward use of a behavioral assessment model to evaluate not only emotional disturbance but also other handicapping conditions. Using this model the child is evaluated in his or her environment. It is also noted that school psychologists can move away from a role that is restricted to testing by taking advantage of laws that allow them to provide psychological services to staff members, parents, and children. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychophysiologists and the AIDS epidemic: can we help?

A comparison of medical disorders between male and female soldiers during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm is presented. Acute gastrointestinal, acute respiratory, dermatologic, dental, psychiatric, orthopedic and optometric disorders were chosen for study. No association between the groups was noted for acute minor illnesses and dental disorders. Men were more likely to be diagnosed with orthopedic and dermatologic disorders (p < 0.001 and p < 0.019). Women were more likely to be diagnosed with psychiatric and optometric disorders (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001). These results can assist military and medical strategists target differential health care to male and female soldiers in the deployed garrison and combat scenarios.     

Perceptions of nonclinical psychologists toward clinical psychology and clinical psychologists.

Surveyed psychologists outside the clinical realm to ascertain their views on the efficacy of psychotherapy, as well as their views on clinical psychologists. Surveys were mailed to 300 nonclinical psychologists randomly chosen from the American Psychological Association Directory. Results of 109 usable surveys suggest that although the majority had a positive view of clinical psychology, a substantial minority either were uncertain or disagreed that therapy was effective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Productive psychologists.

Frequency of citation is suggested "… as an instrument for facilitating the assessment of the influence of a psychologist and of identifying his most influential work." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Urinary tract infection in the immunocompromised host. Lessons from kidney transplantation and the AIDS epidemic

The occurrence of urinary tract infection and its clinical impact is determined, as with any infectious disease, by the interaction between the virulence of the infecting organism and the host defense mechanisms that can be mobilized. In the case of urinary tract infections, an anatomically and functionally intact kidney and urinary tract are the primary host defenses, with phagocytic function and immune mechanisms coming into play to limit the consequences of those infections. Of all the categories of immunocompromised hosts, the renal transplant patient is the one most susceptible to the direct and indirect consequences of urinary tract infections. In the first 3 months post transplant, the incidence of urinary tract infection is greater than 30%, and there is a relatively high rate of bacteremia and overt pyelonephritis of the allograft. After this time period, unless anatomic or functional derangement of the urinary tract is present, the direct clinical manifestations are far more benign. In addition to the direct effects of urinary tract infection on these patients, indirect effects are also important. These include the activation of CMV by TNF released as a consequence of a urinary tract infection and the initiation of allograft injury. Fortunately, low-dose trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or fluoroquinolones are safe and effective prophylactic strategies for preventing the direct and indirect consequences of urinary tract infections. Although the pathogenetic mechanisms are incompletely understood, data are emerging that AIDS patients have both an increased incidence and severity of urinary tract infection. The risk for urinary tract infections seem to be correlated with the degree of immune compromise and, perhaps, the amount of malnutrition and wasting that are present. The best strategies for preventing urosepsis in AIDS patients remain to be defined.     

The AIDS epidemic: caring for caregivers

AIDS has become a global health problem for individuals, families and health care providers. This disease has a tremendous impact on the physical and psychological well-being of these groups. Nurses are on the front line providing physical care and support for these patients and their families; but nurses also need support and caring as they carry out their important nursing roles. This article addresses the effects of AIDS on nurses and presents a model for nursing administrators to establish and maintain a supportive, caring environment for nurses.     

Canadian psychologists and the aerodrome of democracy.

Describes the role of Canadian psychologists in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) and suggests possible effects on postwar Canadian psychology. Some of Canada's most prominent psychologists were deeply involved in the field of aircrew selection and training between 1939 and 1945. E. A. Bott (1941), S. N. Chant (1943), and C. R. Myers (1972) all worked on human resource aspects of the BCATP for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Some of their most significant work was the development of selection procedures that culled over 150,000 aircrew candidates of which 131,553 graduated as qualified aviators. By introducing scientific methods (based on the behavioral sciences) to the RCAF, Canadian psychologists had a profound effect on the Commonwealth's aircrew production system. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social pressures and the values of psychologists.

Speaking in connection with the APA Code of Ethics, the author discusses the social roles of psychologists and the social pressures associated with such roles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

School psychologists as leaders in the implementation of a targeted intervention: The Behavior Education Program.

School psychologists are excellent candidates to support school administrations interested in implementing a continuum of effective behavior support. One type of targeted intervention that has recently received attention in the research literature is a check-in, check-out system called the Behavior Education Program (BEP). The current evaluation was conducted to examine the effects of the BEP on office discipline referrals in middle school students. It was conducted in a rural middle school in the Pacific Northwest with 487 students (grades 6 to 8), 31% of whom qualified for free or reduced lunch and 20% of whom were from minority backgrounds. Results from this evaluation indicate that, with the exception of the parental feedback component, the BEP was implemented with a high degree of fidelity. Although no minimum level of BEP treatment fidelity has been established in the literature, it is clear that the fidelity level reached in this evaluation was adequate for behavior change. The lack of a control group limits the conclusions that can be made because variables other than the BEP may have affected students rates of office discipline referrals. Current evaluation indicate that the BEP is an effective intervention for reducing problem behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)