Finding the right book with a main character successfully coping with a situation similar to the one he or she is facing and having it on hand are very real obstacles. With today's digital technologies, however, and a bit of innovative maneuvering, this could be a challenge of the past. This article discusses a futuristic approach used to deal…

Infants placed in foster care are at high risk for emotional and behavioral problems. Assessment of their mental health must account for their often-adverse life experiences prior to placement and the involvement of multiple systems that shape their lives in lieu of parents' authority. This article presents practice guidelines for infant mental…

This article conceptualizes Second World War children of German soldiers and native women in Norway as "border children", who became symbolic bearers of deep societal conflicts. The authors demonstrate that this position had painful consequences in the personal experiences of the children, experiences that were shared with war children…

The case study examines the problems of a 15-year-old younger sibling of a handicapped young man. The boy's problems in school and with his parents, brother, and the family counseling process are considered. (DB)

Interviews were conducted with people affiliated with lodges, a community program for people with psychiatric disabilities, about their perceptions of promising practices. Responses validated the notion that the lodge serves many of the functions of a family. Provides excerpts from interviews to supplement this theme. Discusses implications for…

Following the mass shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, the author has repeatedly been asked, as a former director of the Student Counseling and Resource Service at the University of Chicago and clinical associate professor of psychiatry, two questions: "Could this have been prevented?" and "How can we ensure that it…

The interpersonal (e.g., manipulative, deceitful) and affective (e.g., callous, unemotional) features associated with adult psychopathy have been identified in children and adolescents. Although early research suggests that these features have clinical utility in identifying a particularly severe and recalcitrant form of antisocial behavior with…

This article presents facts about and suggestions for dealing with depression, an affective disorder which is estimated to afflict 15 percent of adults in any given year. Special emphasis is given to the growing trends of depression and suicide among adolescents. (CB)

Manifestations of depression in three adults wth Down syndrome, one of whom also exhibited anorexia nervosa, are described. Overall findings indicate that major depression in Down syndrome may be more frequent than previously assumed and that it can be diagnosed with standard diagnostic criteria, modified according to the patient's developmental…

Levels of multidimensional perfectionism were compared in gifted (N=83) and regular (N=112) middle school students. Results indicated that gifted students had significantly higher standards scores, a measure of adaptive perfectionism, and significantly lower discrepancy scores, a measure of maladaptive perfectionism. Results suggest that gifted…

Conscientious educators grapple with the challenge of teaching all students, including emotionally troubled, high risk students. The general expectation is that teachers should know how to reach and teach every student--even the most irritating and obstinate child. To do that, teachers must be able to identify basic psychological factors of…

Generally, teachers are good students. Most know how to successfully address a variety of academic tasks demands. Many know how to compensate for any personal weaknesses they have with specific skills. Sometimes teachers are such good students that they forgot what it was like to struggle to learn something. Unfortunately, students with emotional…

Discusses the interactive nature of adult illiteracy and emotional maladjustment. Specific emphasis is placed on describing a series of psychological barriers to learning: ambivalence about success; fear of risk taking; overdependence on authority figures; tension; defensive dominance; and intrusive memories of poor learning experiences. A group…

Role-playing is a useful technique in the preparation and training of peer counselors and mental health paraprofessionals. Examples of role-playing techniques used in the training of peer counselors in an urban college setting are offered. (Author/CL)

Describes the four steps used by Bethesda Family Service Foundation to help troubled youth break out from the hurt-hate-harm cycle. Healing involves the following steps: (1) Admission and Grieving; (2) Confrontation and Disclosure; (3) Forgiveness and Reconciliation; and (4) Restoration and Healing. Improvement in emotional response can lead to…