Simple solutions to a complex problem: A response to Rodman, Pratto, and Nelson (1988).

Rodman, Pratto, & Nelson (1988) take issue with the classification of youngsters who are unsupervised after school, but not in their own home, as "latchkey" or "self-care" children in studies that examine the effects of after-school care experiences on children's behavior and development. They also take issue with including young adolescents, 14-15 years, in such studies. On the basis of these concerns, they dismiss as spurious and misleading findings from a previous study (Steinberg, 1986), which suggested that latchkey youngsters who spend after-school hours away from home may be at greater risk for misbehavior than latchkey youngsters who are in their own homes. They then propose that researchers use the term self-care to refer only to elementary-school youngsters who are home alone (or with a younger sibling) after school. Arguments against these proposals are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

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)     

Adolescents and sexuality in family practice. A pilot study

It is well established that teenagers are generally dissatisfied with the sexual education they receive from school and parents. While several alternative sources of sex counselling have been suggested (i.e. an anonymous and semi-official telephone hot-line), the role of the general practitioner in sexual guidance of youngsters is only poorly evaluated. One hundred and sixty-eight teenage callers of "The Adolescent Sexuality Hot-line" were asked about their experience with sexual counselling by their family doctor. One third had actually discussed such topics with their g.p., and a total of 44.6% (significantly more girls than boys) regarded their g.p. as a desirable interlocutor on these issues. The reasons for having approached a g.p. for counselling differed according to gender, as did the causes for not wanting to involve a g.p. in sexual matters: boys tended to state shyness and lack of anonymity as main causes, whereas girls more often pointed to personal aspects of the doctor.     

The renunciation of love: Dismissive attachment and its treatment.

The developmental insights of attachment theory as applied to children and adults suggest that insecure attachment correlates with relational difficulties over the course of time. Specifically, individuals with an avoidant attachment style who have been rebuffed by caregivers in childhood will be defensively constricted and unable to love in adulthood. These patients present particular challenges in treatment because they have become organized around avoidance of affect and relationship. Theories of treatment and technique that seem related to the successful resolution of such difficulties are discussed. Curative factors include a focus on defenses against relational longings, interpretation of and provision for certain selfobject needs, and a relatively high level of therapist self-disclosure. It is suggested that an integration of the findings of attachment research with relational theories that focus on treatment has potential to advance psychoanalytic thinking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depressed adolescents of depressed and nondepressed mothers: Tests of an Interpersonal Impairment Hypothesis.

Two groups of depressed youngsters were compared. From an interpersonal perspective, it was hypothesized that depressed adolescents of depressed mothers would have significantly more interpersonal dysfunction than depressed youngsters of nondepressed mothers. In a large community sample of youth and their families, 65 depressed offspring of women with histories of a major depressive episode or dysthymia were compared with 45 depressed offspring of never-depressed women. As predicted, after controlling for current symptoms and family social status variables, depressed offspring of depressed mothers displayed significantly more negative interpersonal behaviors and cognitions compared with depressed offspring of nondepressed mothers, but they did not differ on academic performance. Implications concerning mechanisms, course, and consequences of different forms of adolescent depression are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cancer of the prostate. 3: Men's healthcare needs

This article, the third in a three-part series, addresses the complex issues surrounding screening for prostate cancer. The purpose of screening in health care is discussed and the advantages and disadvantages of the various screening tests for the early detection of prostate cancer are outlined. The use of one specific technique to screen men for prostate cancer is questioned. It is suggested that several techniques should be used to assess risk in detail. Employing only one technique, for example prostate specific antigen, may result in men undergoing unnecessary surgery or inappropriate treatment. Nurses have a professional duty to ensure that they are aware of the advantages and disadvantages with respect to screening men for cancer of the prostate. Patients' must be in possession of the facts before they make important decisions about their health. In order to reduce harm the nurse can become the patient's advocate and act in such a way as to safeguard and promote the patient's interests.     

The area code hypothesis revisited: olfactory receptors and other related transmembrane receptors may function as the last digits in a cell surface code for assembling embryos

Recent evidence emerging from several laboratories, integrated with new data obtained by searching the genome databases, suggests that the area code hypothesis provides a good heuristic model for explaining the remarkable specificity of cell migration and tissue assembly that occurs throughout embryogenesis. The area code hypothesis proposes that cells assemble organisms, including their brains and nervous systems, with the aid of a molecular-addressing code that functions much like the country, area, regional, and local portions of the telephone dialing system. The complexity of the information required to code cells for the construction of entire organisms is so enormous that we assume that the code must make combinatorial use of members of large multigene families. Such a system would reuse the same receptors as molecular digits in various regions of the embryo, thus greatly reducing the total number of genes required. We present the hypothesis that members of the very large families of olfactory receptors and vomeronasal receptors fulfill the criteria proposed for area code molecules and could serve as the last digits in such a code. We discuss our evidence indicating that receptors of these families are expressed in many parts of developing embryos and suggest that they play a key functional role in cell recognition and targeting not only in the olfactory system but also throughout the brain and numerous other organs as they are assembled.     

Child Death From Pediatric Illness: Conceptualizing Intervention From a Family/Systems and Public Health Perspective.

Despite the universal and understandable distress associated with the death of a child from pediatric illness, do psychologists help surviving families in ways that match their need for assistance? Many families do not seek psychological help and cope adaptively with their loss. Indications for psychotherapy with bereaved families are based largely on experience with families who engage in treatment and who have greater distress. Other families may not receive sufficient services but are at risk for ongoing difficulties and unlikely to engage in treatment. Suggestions for intervention are made, with attention to the fit of therapeutic approaches with family needs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Orthodontics for the handicapped child

The broad spectrum of difficulties that exist in providing orthodontic treatment for handicapped children is well known and few practitioners offer such a service. The present article offers an analysis of the problems involved and provides some practical answers designed to overcome them. It describes some of the newer modalities that have become available to the dental profession over the last few years and shows how advantage may be gained by their exploitation, in orthodontic treatment. Additionally, some of the older and largely-forgotten methods, appropriately modified and updated, are represented in this context, where they find particular relevance. Guidelines are given to enable the orthodontic profession to gain therapeutic access to a section of the population that urgently requires treatment.     

The social effects of juvenile chronic arthritis

We are continually expanding our knowledge of JCA and establishing our understanding on an ever-increasing knowledge base encompassing immunology, immunogenetics, physiology, psychology and sociology. The causes and treatment of this condition are multifactoral and no one discipline can hope to embrace all of them. Nurses, particularly those with rheumatological and/or paediatric expertise, are uniquely placed to provide the link between patient, the family and health care team and thus to coordinate treatment and ensure that care meets the needs of youngsters with JCA and their families.     

Caregivers of Turkish schizophrenic patients: causal attributions, burdens and attitudes to help from the health professionals

The purpose of this study was to examine the causal attributions, difficulties, perceived and expected help behaviour of health care professionals, and hope for the future well-being of the caregivers of Turkish schizophrenic patients in order to form guidelines for forming a collaboration with the families of schizophrenic patients. Sixty caregivers were interviewed by using a semi-structured interview schedule. The responses of the caregivers were categorized within the guidelines of the literature in this area. The caregivers attributed schizophrenia mainly to psychosocial causes, namely stressful events (50%), family conflicts (40%) and patients' characteristics (28%). The most frequently reported difficulties were family conflicts and disruptions of family life, subjective burden (48%), and financial costs due to the patient (27%). The number of difficulties reported by caregivers was related to the duration of the patient's illness. Caregivers perceived pharmacological treatment (42%), interest and support given to the caregiver (28%), and the hospitalization of the patient (20%) as helpful. THeir expectations of help were in similar areas. About half of the caregivers were optimistic about the future well-being of their relatives. Optimistic and pessimistic caregivers differed in the educational level of the caregiver and the duration of the patient's illness. The results suggested that the families of schizophrenics need support of professionals and the establishment of networks focusing on the caregivers and their relationships with their ill relatives and with health care institutions.     

A critical analysis of the minimal brain dysfunction syndrome.

Overactive and distractible youngsters who underachieve in school often represent a large proportion of child clinical populations. The hypothesis that these children suffer from minor neurological impairments not demonstrable through conventional neurodiagnostic methods enjoys widespread influence. Proponents of this minimal brain dysfunction viewpoint typically admit that there is little direct evidence to support their position, yet they tend to minimize its weaknesses and dangers. Attention to the literature in this field reveals numerous pitfalls that can be avoided by alternative cognitive–developmental hypotheses. These alternative interpretations do not ignore relevant brain–behavior relationships, but their tenets are more consistent with the available evidence and may ultimately lead to improved strategies of intervention. (72 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family physicians' involvement with dying patients and their families. Attitudes, difficulties, and strategies

OBJECTIVE: To determine family physicians' perceptions of the difficulty in caring for dying patients and how prepared they are to provide such care relative to strategies used with difficulties encountered, personal need for support and development, and cooperation with other caregivers. DESIGN: Exploratory. SETTING: Physicians' offices. SUBJECTS: Thirty-five randomly selected family physicians (doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy) representative of family physicians practicing in Franklin County, Ohio. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAJOR OUTCOME MEASURES: A semistructured interview guide corresponding to a three-dimensional theoretical model developed prior to the study was used to determine family physicians' perceptions regarding care of dying patients and their families. The three dimensions include family physicians' involvement with dying patients and their families, their personal needs and development, and their cooperation with other caregivers. RESULTS: Participants agreed that the care of dying patients and their families is an important and special component of practicing family medicine. Generally seeing themselves as adequately prepared, they still found such care difficult and desired more education and training to increase comfort of their patients and of themselves. Their perceptions regarding the care of dying patients and their families could be categorized in terms of communication as part of the care process, family issues, legal and ethical issues, coordination of care, physicians' feelings, and physicians' influence and support. CONCLUSIONS: Family physicians require formal training in death issues and need to find a way to maximize learning through personal experiences. Discussion of cases in a support group may be beneficial.     

The hydrogen hypothesis for the first eukaryote

A new hypothesis for the origin of eukaryotic cells is proposed, based on the comparative biochemistry of energy metabolism. Eukaryotes are suggested to have arisen through symbiotic association of an anaerobic, strictly hydrogen-dependent, strictly autotrophic archaebacterium (the host) with a eubacterium (the symbiont) that was able to respire, but generated molecular hydrogen as a waste product of anaerobic heterotrophic metabolism. The host's dependence upon molecular hydrogen produced by the symbiont is put forward as the selective principle that forged the common ancestor of eukaryotic cells.     

Child abuse.

Knowledge of child abuse is limited, with little agreement, among professionals concerning definition, incidence, and causes. Approaches to treatment have met with limited success, and proposed prevention strategies prove impractical due to such factors as the invasion of family privacy and negative effects of labeling deviant or potentially deviant behavior. Prevention efforts are reviewed, and it is suggested that the best preventive strategy is the development of a coherent policy in support of all children and their families. Child abuse is embedded in families, institutions, and society as a whole: Efforts to eliminate it must be directed at all 3 components. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cornea stress test--evaluation of corneal endothelial function in vivo by contact lens induced stress

Changes in the NHS have supported the idea of targeting health services to those in greatest need. This has meant that health visitors are increasingly having to identify 'vulnerable' families in need of increased health visiting intervention. This paper reports on a qualitative study undertaken in order to explore the ways in which health visitors plan and organize their work in relation to the concept of vulnerability. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were carried out with health visitors from two separate geographical areas, one an inner city area and the other suburban, in order to explore the criteria by which health visitors define vulnerability and decide to increase their levels of intervention to particular families. It was found that vulnerability was extremely difficult to define but that the health visitors used criteria which were appropriate to the particular localities in which they worked to identify vulnerable families and to increase their levels of intervention to those families. Health visitors were targeting their services within a framework of a basic minimum service to all and were assessing the health needs of individuals or families rather than planning their work on the basis of community or practice profiles.     

Proteolysis and orientation in Dictyostelium slugs

It has been long known that the migrating slugs of the cellular slime moulds are highly sensitive to their environment and orient towards light and in temperature and chemical gradients. There is considerable evidence from past work that these orientations are governed by NH3 which affects the rate of movement of cells within the slug with such precision that orientation to the external stimuli is achieved. In order to test this hypothesis further, various ways to alter the internal NH3 concentration were devised. Substances that either increased or decreased proteolysis were applied to one side of the tip of a slug, thereby affecting its orientation. Some of the treatments strongly support the role of internally produced NH3 in orientation, and all the treatments produce results that are consistent with the hypothesis.     

Cult involvement: A systems approach to assessment and treatment.

Views assessment and treatment of clients involved in cults from a family systems perspective. Two case examples illustrate how individuals are most vulnerable to recruitment when experiencing difficulties in separating from their family of origin. Clinical work with cult-involved Ss and their families is affected by Ss' stage of cult involvement. Characteristic cognitive and affective difficulties are evident at each stage of cult involvement, with specific implications for treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child maltreatment: Case studies in assessment and intervention.

Child maltreatment is one of the most common forms of domestic violence, with a substantial degree of morbid consequences for children, their families, and society. This article presents 4 cases of maltreatment allegations that pose unique assessment and intervention difficulties. Creative solutions are proposed in the context of rational procedures that are solidly grounded empirically, and aimed at benefiting children and families. Though several of the cases involved court intervention, the authors claim that the court often has no better means of arriving at a factual and substantive disposition than do the parties involved. However, psychologists should not usurp the role of the court and attempt unilaterally to come to conclusions that are legally binding on others. Rather, psychologists need to have the professional discretion to state what they think and the basis of what they think, without the atmosphere of prejudicial hysteria. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)