School-based health care for urban minority junior high school students

OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of school-based health clinics by urban minority junior high school students. DESIGN: Review of demographic and utilization data collected by service providers during clinic visits. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Health clinics in four junior high schools that enrolled predominantly Hispanic students who were residing in an economically disadvantaged, medically underserved New York (NY) school district. RESULTS: Of 5757 students who were enrolled in the schools, 5296 (92%) obtained parental consent to use the clinics, and 3723 (65%) used the clinics during the 1991-1992 academic year. Clinic users were 11 to 15 years old, 50% male and 50% female, 81% Hispanic and 14% black, and 29% sixth graders, 33% seventh graders, and 38% eighth graders. Clinic users made 16,340 clinic visits during the 1991-1992 academic year. Presenting complaints were mental health problems (32%), illness (14%), injury (12%), physical examination (5%), immunization (3%), follow-up (21%), and other (13%). Referral sources were clinic outreach (48%), self (44%), and school personnel (8%). Disposition of visits was on-site treatment (92%), referral to an affiliated hospital (5%), and referral elsewhere (3%). Compared with a nationwide group of high school-based clinics that served predominantly black adolescents, these clinics provided more mental health care (31% vs 21%), similar illness/injury care (32% vs 30%), and less preventive (10% vs 24%) and reproductive/contraceptive (7% vs 12%) care. CONCLUSIONS: Junior high school-based clinics can provide a wide range of primary and preventive health care services for large numbers of medically underserved youths. The provision of mental health services may fill a critical need among inner-city adolescents. Clinic outreach may be necessary to maximize utilization, especially among high-risk students.     

Self-identified addictions and emotional disturbances in a sample of college students.

Administered a problem history questionnaire (PHQ) to 604 college students as part of a larger study of the correlates of multiple patterns of addictions. Data are presented bearing on the incidence of various addictions and the extent to which Ss identifying themselves as addicted to one experience also reported addiction to one or more other experiences. Results support S. Peele's (1985) assertion of the validity of self-reports of addictions and also indicate the co-occurrence of addictions that include alcohol, drugs, anorexia, physical violence, gambling, and sex. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral and emotional self-control: Relations to substance use in samples of middle and high school students.

The authors tested how behavioral and emotional self-control are related to adolescent substance (tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana) use. Data were obtained from 489 middle school students and 602 high school students. Multiple indicators were developed for each domain of self-control, and confirmatory analyses were used to test the measurement structure of latent constructs. Results showed that the domains of behavioral self-control and emotional self-control were statistically distinct, and both were related to adolescent substance use. Structural modeling analyses indicated indirect effects for self-control constructs primarily through pathways to competence and recent events. In addition, poor behavioral control had a direct effect to deviant peer affiliations, and poor emotional control had a direct effect to coping motives for substance use. The results indicate that both types of self-regulation are relevant for adolescent substance use. Implications for prevention and treatment research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Issues related to school attendance of black baccalaureate nursing students

Studies have shown an increased spontaneous TNF alpha production, and the 24--rhythmicity of TNF blood concentration in patients with advanced cancer. The present study investigates whether diurnal rhythmicity of endogenous TNF alpha is associated with the induction of circulating sTNF Rp55 in advanced gastrointestinal neoplasm. The levels of endogenous TNF alpha and sTNF Rp55 in serum were measured at 8 a.m., 2 p.m., 6 p.m., 10 p.m., 2 a.m., and again at 8 a.m. RESULTS: There is circadian rhythm in the secretion of endogenous TNF alpha in patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer, however no diurnal rhythm of sTNF Rp55 was observed. Since it has been suggested that human tumors susceptible to TNF alpha may escape destruction by secreting or inducing the secretion of sTNF Rp55 to block the effects of TNF alpha, the possibility that the observed fluctuations could also reflect the complexation of a proportion of the receptor molecules with their ligand should be considered.     

Sleep problems of junior high school students in Taipei

The objective of this work was to study the relationship between daily sleep time and characteristics of students, e.g. grade level, gender, and academic program. A sleep habit questionnaire was designed to survey students at two junior high schools, one from northern Taipei and the other from southern Taipei. The impact of shortened duration of sleep on daily function was also evaluated. A total of 965 students and their parents were selected randomly in December 1993 for the questionnaire study. The response rate was 96.4% (930) for students and 88.6% (855) for parents. The self-reported daily sleep time of students declined, and daytime sleepiness and moodiness increased in the higher grades. The girls slept fewer hours than the boys and did not show an increase in daytime sleepiness. Those students not taking the senior high school joint entrance examination slept more hours at night and maintained more alertness in the daytime than those who were taking the examination. The more academic pressures that adolescents faced, the fewer hours they slept. Students not participating in the joint entrance examination seemed to show a healthier sleep pattern. Little sleep at night made the students feel sleepy in the daytime and tired, drowsy, moody and difficult at arising in the morning. The reason why girls slept less than boys needs further investigation.     

Predictors of substance use at school among high school students.

Although many studies have examined the predictors of overall substance use among adolescents, few have focused on the high school setting as a specific context for substance use. Therefore, predictors of alcohol and marijuana use at school were examined in a sample of high school students. The general hypotheses were that substance use at school depends on (a) personal predispositions, (b) the situational opportunity for substance use at school, and (c) the interaction of predispositions and opportunity. Several interactions were found suggesting that personal predispositions are more strongly related to substance use at school when students believe they have the opportunity to use alcohol and drugs without getting caught. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological distress and its correlates in secondary school students in Pavia, Italy

Adolescence is a time of social as well as biological transition; nevertheless, there are very few epidemiological studies in this field in Italy. Therefore, we felt it would be useful to conduct a cross-sectional study on a sample of 1346 adolescents aged 14-19 years attending high schools in the Health Authority Area of Pavia (northern Italy) through a multi-dimensional approach, taking into consideration physical and psychological health, life habits, family environment and social life of teen-agers. We used a structured self-administered questionnaire consisting of 264 question items to achieve the study aim, which was to find the variables (among personal data, scholastic, family, relational characteristics and habits) correlated with psychological distress. The results showed that in this sample psychological distress (evaluated by GHQ-30) was significatively (p < 0.005) associated with female sex, problems with school friends and teachers, having at least one immigrant parent (from a region different from that of residence), little love for parents and poor parental psycho-physical health status, staying at home on the weekend, smoking and using psychoactive medicines.     

Stability of vocational interests among high school students

The purpose of this study was to examine the stability of adolescents' career interests using the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory (SCII). Students at a Midwestern high school were administered the SCII twice over a three-year period, and comparisons were made on Occupational Themes and Basic Interests. Significant differences in mean scores were found by gender and parental occupation, and these differences were relatively stable. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research and Holland's theory, and the implications are addressed.     

Attitudes of white and Negro high school students in a west Texas town toward school integration.

"1. Authoritarian attitudes… were not indicative of negative attitudes toward integration. 2. Negro students… show highly authoritarian attitudes as well as strong positive attitudes toward all areas of school integration. 3. White students in the segregated school systems studied show high authoritarianism though less than Negro students. 4. White students show a number of positive attitude responses toward many aspects of school integration, thus easing the expressed fear of widespread interracial conflicts in integrated schools in this area, though problems may arise in situations necessitating close personal-social contact." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive specificity in emotional distress.

Cognitive approaches to emotional distress posit that specific cognitive factors are critically linked to the etiology, course, or treatment of dysfunction. Although a number of empirical studies have assessed cognitive factors in emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety, research has yet to assess these variables simultaneously and with identical cognitive measures. Using depression and test anxiety as models of dysfunctional affective states, we examined cognitive specificity on measures of information processing, attributions, automatic thinking, and cognitive interference. Results indicated a pattern of specificity showing several differences and similarities in depression and anxiety. Specifically, "purely" depressed individuals showed evidence of selectivity processing depressive information, making dysfunctional attributions, and engaging in more negative automatic thinking. "Purely" anxious individuals, on the other hand, showed evidence of selective anxious information processing and increased cognitive interference. Results are discussed in terms of a taxonomy for classifying depressive and anxious cognition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship of individual and family factors to the psychological well-being of junior high school students living in urban poverty

This study examined the contribution of individual and family factors to psychological adjustment in a sample of junior high school students living in urban poverty. Identity development and perceived parental treatment were hypothesized to serve as mediating, or protective, factors between economic hardship and levels of self-esteem, depression, and loneliness. Consistent with the hypotheses, identity development did serve as a mediator between poverty and psychological adjustment. While perceived parental treatment was not related to economic hardship, it was clearly associated with well-being in this sample. Findings are discussed in terms of the differing contributions of family and individual development, as well as the importance of mediators in assessing the effects of poverty on young adolescents.     

The role of perceived barriers and relational support in the educational and vocational lives of urban high school students.

Drawing on developmental contextual theory, the authors examined the relationship of perceived barriers and support with school engagement and vocational attitudes among 9th-grade urban high school students in 2 studies. Study 1 (N=174) showed that both perceived barriers and perceived support from family kin were associated with youths' commitment to school and aspirations for success in their future careers. Study 2 (N=181) replicated and extended Study 1, demonstrating that perceived barriers, general perceptions of support, and kinship support were associated with behavioral and attitudinal indexes of school engagement, as well as with aspirations for career success, expectations for attaining career goals, and the importance of work in one's future. The findings contribute to efforts to identify individual and contextual factors relevant to the educational and vocational lives of urban minority youth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A portrait of benchmark school: How a school produces high achievement in students who previously failed.

This is a case study of Benchmark School, which educates 6- to 15-year-olds with a history of school failure. Grounded theory methodology was employed to generate a theory about how the school promotes achievement. Many elements potentially promoting academic achievement were identified, including ones informed by psychological theory and research (e.g., evidence-based literacy instructional practices, strategies instruction, conceptually focused content instruction, many mechanisms to motivate students) but also, selective admissions, human resources (i.e., well-trained teachers, supportive parents, skilled counselors), small class size, and a supportive physical context. The theory that emerges is that many elements must be articulated to remediate struggling elementary students, although some are more important than others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internal structure of a measure of self-efficacy in physical activity among high school students

The preliminary development of a measure of self-efficacy to participate in vigorous physical activity when confronted with specific perceived barriers to physical activity is described. Measures used in previous research ([Hofstetter, C.R., Hovell, M.F., Sallis, J.F., 1990a. Social learning correlates of exercise self-efficacy: Early experiences with physical activity, Social Science and Medicine, 31, 1169-1176.]; [Hofstetter, C.R., Sallis, J.F., Hovell, M.F., 1990b. Some health dimensions of self-efficacy: Analysis of theoretical specificity, Social Science and Medicine, 31, 1051-1056.]; [Reynolds, K.D., Killen, J.D., Bryson, M.S., Maron, D.J., Taylor, C.B., Maccoby, N., Farquhar, J.W., 1990. Psychosocial predictors of physical activity in adolescents, Preventive Medicine, 19, 541-551.]; [Sallis, J.F., Pinski, R.B., Grossman, R.M., Patterson, T.L., Nader, P.R., 1988. The development of self-efficacy scales for health-related diet and exercise behaviors, Health Education Research, 3, 283-292.]) were adapted and original items were developed. The 20-item measure has a 5-point Likert format ranging from not at all confident (1) to very confident (5). An earlier pilot study of 200 secondary school students showed that the measure was free of social desirability. The data were derived from a survey of 1041 secondary school students from a Metropolitan Toronto board of education. Principal component analysis (PCA) with oblique rotation of the data yielded two factors: self-efficacy to overcome external barriers and self-efficacy to overcome internal barriers. The 12-item external barriers subscale had a coefficient alpha of 0.88 and the 8-item internal barriers subscale had a coefficient alpha of 0.87. The subscales significantly correlated with the frequency of participation in vigorous physical activity. In summary, the results provide some support for the internal consistency reliability, construct validity, criterion validity, and discriminant validity of the measure. Though further psychometric research is warranted, the self-efficacy measure shows promise for physical activity research.     

Impact of a dietary change on emotional distress.

Investigated the impact of a dietary change on the emotional state of 3 21–50 yr old females and an 18-yr-old male, using a single-S design. Ss were selected on the basis of scores on a behavioral index of metabolic imbalance and a subsequent interview. The dietary change for 3 Ss consisted of a high protein, low carbohydrate diet void of sucrose and caffeine, whereas only caffeine and sucrose were eliminated for the 4th S. The dependent variable used with the 1st S was a self-report of symptoms experienced, whereas the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Profile of Mood State (POMS) were used with the other Ss. Ss reported many symptoms and/or presented a distressed profile during baseline assessment. However, following a 2-wk dietary change symptoms declined, and the MMPI or POMS profiles reflected a more stable and less distressed individual. Results suggest that a dietary change can remediate the emotional distress exhibited by some individuals, with the type of change affecting the emotional response. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychiatric comorbidity with problematic alcohol use in high school students

OBJECTIVE: To delineate the degree to which various levels of problematic alcohol use are associated with psychiatric disorders in adolescents. METHOD: The lifetime occurrence of psychiatric disorders was examined in a community sample of 1,507 older adolescents (aged 14 through 18 years) who were categorized according to their alcohol use (i.e., abstainers, experimenters, social drinkers, problem drinkers, and abuse/dependence group). RESULTS: Increased alcohol use was associated with the increased lifetime occurrence of depressive disorders, disruptive behavior disorders, drug use disorders, and daily tobacco use. There was a trend for increased alcohol use in girls to be associated with anxiety disorders. More than 80% of adolescents with alcohol abuse/dependence had some other form of psychopathology. Alcohol disorders, in general, followed rather than preceded the onset of other psychiatric disorders. Comorbidity was associated with an earlier age of alcohol disorder onset and with greater likelihood of mental health treatment utilization. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of psychiatric comorbidity with problematic alcohol use in adolescents are striking and represent an important therapeutic challenge.     

Group play therapy with junior high school students.

Suggests that client-centered play therapy is a beneficial therapeutic approach for troubled junior high school students. However, in order to successfully implement this approach, the play activities unique to junior high students need to be recognized and accepted for what they are. An approach to in-school counseling similar to client-centered group play therapy, as described by M. DeMaria and S. Cowden (1992), is presented. "Play" in this context does not necessarily refer to activities that adults usually define as play, instead play will refer to activities that early teenagers engage in with each other. These activities (e.g., make-up and trashing) and their value to the children are described and interpreted. It is noted that the activities possess a social form which the youngsters define as meaningful and fun. The difficulties inherent in utilizing this approach with this volatile population are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)