The role of parents and older siblings in predicting adolescent substance use: Modeling development via structural equation latent growth methodology.

Using latent growth curve methodology, this study investigated developmental trends in adolescent, parent, and older sibling substance use across a 3-year period and the predictive effect of these trends on adolescent substance use 2 years later. Participants were 101 adolescents (50 boys and 51 girls) who were an average of 12.34 years old at the first assessment, their parents, and an older sibling. Results indicate that although both parents and siblings contribute to the level of adolescent use, only siblings appear to contribute to the adolescents' subsequent substance use development. The adolescents' developmental trajectory was the best predictor of later use, but siblings contributed to later use indirectly through their influence on adolescents' substance use development. Findings discuss the role of sibling and parent substance use on adolescent substance use and emphasize the utility of latent growth modeling in the study of developmental change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

CLASS: A standardized in-class program for acting-out children: II. Field test evaluations.

Two experiments evaluated the effects of a packaged teacher-consultant-mediated intervention program (CLASS) for modifying acting-out behavior in the regular classroom. Consultants were instructed (a) as part of an 8-wk course by 2 briefly trained college instructors, or (b) in a 2–4 day workshop by the program's developers. 27 experimental and 27 control Ss (from kindergarten through 2nd grade) from 3 school districts were involved. Results indicate that the experimentals, in contrast to the controls, significantly increased their proportion of appropriate behavior postintervention in the next academic year (Exp II) and required fewer remedial services and special class placements up to 3 yrs later. The program's external generalizability and cost-effective service-delivery strategy are discussed. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Increasing academic achievement by reinforcing direct academic performance and/or facilitative nonacademic responses.

Compared the effects of 3 intervention procedures in increasing academic achievement and levels of appropriate behavior for children with relatively low rates of appropriate behavior. Three groups of 16 Ss each were selected in pairs from regular primary-grade classrooms and 1 child from each pair was randomly assigned to the experimental group. Experimental Ss received treatment in an experimental class setting, while control Ss remained in the regular classroom. Group 1 Ss were reinforced for behaviors facilitative of academic performance, Group 2 for correct academic performance, and Group 3 for both. No significant treatment differences were found. However, there was a significant experimental-control group difference, favoring experimentals, for reading achievement, math achievement, and level of appropriate behavior. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sequential analysis of chronic pain behaviors and spouse responses.

Social reinforcers such as spouse behaviors have been hypothesized to be important in maintaining chronic pain behavior. This study used direct observation to test whether solicitous and aggressive spouse behaviors systematically precede and follow patient pain behaviors. 50 chronic pain patients and spouses and 33 control couples were videotaped performing specified tasks. Spouse solicitous behaviors were significantly more likely to precede and follow nonverbal pain behaviors, and nonverbal pain behaviors were significantly less likely to follow spouse aggressive behaviors in pain than in control couples. Within couples, spouse solicitous behaviors preceded and followed verbal and nonverbal pain behaviors beyond chance levels more often in pain than in control couples. Results support an operant conceptualization of factors maintaining chronic pain behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comorbidity of unipolar depression: I. Major depression with dysthymia.

The degree of current and lifetime comorbidity between major depressive disorder (MDD) and dysthymia (DY) was examined in large community samples of older adolescents (n?=?1,710) and adults (n?=?2,060). DY was highly comorbid with MDD (lifetime odds ratio of 3.4 for adolescents and 1.6 for adults) and was more likely to precede than to follow MDD, especially in persons who became depressed early in life. MDD was by far the more frequent form of depression: Approximately 80% of the depressed persons experienced only MDD, 10% experienced only DY, and 10% experienced both MDD and DY. The large number of persons who had become depressed twice experienced MDD in the 2nd episode, regardless of the nature of the 1st depression. History of depression was associated with a greater probability for other mental disorders in both adolescents and adults; however, the rates of comorbidity for MDD did not differ from rates for DY or for both MDD and DY. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multimethod comparison of similarity in school adjustment of siblings and unrelated children.

Examined similarities among 45 sibling pairs in Grades 2–5 in their social and academic adaptation to the school setting. Measures included teacher ratings and ranking of academic skills, social behavior, and peer acceptance; peer sociometric ratings; and direct observations on the playground with peers and in the classroom with teachers and peers. Comparisons were made with randomly selected, unrelated S pairs matched on sex, grade, and classroom. Significant correlations were found only among sibling pairs on peer ratings of social preference, teachers' judgments of academic competence, popularity, social behavior and school adjustment, positive behavior with peers on the playground, and teachers' disapproving behavior in the classroom. Results underscore the need for more multiagent and multimethod research on sibling concordant–discordant adjustment regardless of theoretical orientation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescents' relationships with their mothers and fathers: Associations with depressive disorder and subdiagnostic symptomatology.

Family relationships across 3 groups of adolescents were compared: (a) those with unipolar depressive disorders (n=82); (b) those with subdiagnostic depressive symptoms (n=78); and (c) those without emotional or behavioral difficulties (n=83). Results based on multisource, multimethod constructs indicated that depressed adolescents, as well as those with subdiagnostic symptomatology, experience less supportive and more conflictual relationships with each of their parents than do healthy adolescents. These findings are notable in demonstrating that adverse father-adolescent relationships are associated with depressive symptomatology in much the same way as mother-adolescent relationships. As well, the findings add to the emerging evidence that adolescents with subdiagnostic symptoms experience difficulties in social relationships similar to those experienced by adolescents with depressive disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)