Reviews the current state of mental health services to children, youth, and families. The development of a continuum of care coordinated across the mental and non-mental health systems that naturally occur in all children's lives may vastly improve mental health services to children, youth, and families. (Author/BJV)

Discusses the growing areas of behavioral medicine and behavioral health. Traces the developments leading to the establishment of the American Psychological Association's Health Psychology Division and activities on the national level that have led to the development of organizations with a more interdisciplinary focus. (Author/MK)

Describes mental health service needs in rural America and barriers to improving its quality and availability. Federal programs, especially the Office of Rural Health Policy, are described and policy recommendations for improving rural mental health care are presented. (DM)

The majority of mental health clinicians are monolingual and white. Even if unbiased assessment techniques are developed, valid psychodiagnosis of Hispanic patients will remain illusory to the extent that clinicians are insensitive to the linguistic and cultural nuances of their clientele. Recommendations for improving clinical practice are…

A survey among agencies involved in psychological service provision for the aging indicated that: (1) therapy, assessment, and community consultation were the most prevalent geropsychological activities; (2) community mental health centers, hospitals, and New York State expressed greatest interest in hiring geropsychologists; and (3) the…

That psychoanalytic theory has not been displaced by the behavioral theory of neurosis is remarkable in view of the persuasive evidence that exists for the efficacy of behavior therapy. One reason for this seems to be the persistence of widespread misperceptions of behavior therapy. (Author)

Clinical psychology has focused primarily on the diagnosis and treatment of mental disease, and only recently has scientific attention turned to understanding and cultivating positive mental health. The Buddhist tradition, on the other hand, has focused for over 2,500 years on cultivating exceptional states of mental well-being as well as…

People disturb themselves with irrational beliefs, some of which are obvious and blatant while others are subtle and tricky. The latter type make people more disturbed than do the former kind. Even when helped by the most efficient forms of psychotherapy, humans have difficulty achieving and maintaining good mental health. (Author/VM)

Delphic polling was used to predict five variables relating to the future of the mental health profession: quality of graduate training; certification, licensure and accreditation practices; third party reimbursement to practitioners; employment prospects; and developing trends. (Author/APM)

Thirty publications were examined to locate literature on acculturation and mental health among Hispanics immigrants. Points of convergence, problems, limitations, and new directions for research are discussed. Research is needed to discover how acculturation shapes the experience and expression of psychological distress. (CJS)

Traces the history of psychology in the U.S. high school curriculum, beginning with the 19th century, and discussing the role of the American Psychological Association. Focuses on the social and educational contexts that led to changes in the nature of high school psychology classes, concluding with comments about the value of precollege…

Proposes a mental health treatment model for survivors of torture and war trauma, presenting principles underlying such treatment and a developmental view of such abuse. Describes a Guatemalan project that uses the model to train village women to treat survivors in their communities and a U.S. torture treatment program that treats survivors…

This study highlights the differences between community psychology and community mental health and concludes that community psychology should disengage itself from the community mental health movement if it is to fulfill its most important functions of interfacing with the social systems of deviance control and of socialization and support.…

Provides background to a forum on psychological mistreatment of children. This forum attempts to stimulate efforts to examine the prevention, treatment, research, and policy aspects of this phenomenon, which many psychologists contend is the core issue in child abuse and neglect. (Author/LHW)

Psychological maltreatment appears to be more prevalent and potentially more destructive than other forms of child abuse and neglect. However, it receives little attention from the public or professional sector. This article reviews the literature and concludes that psychological maltreatment is the core issue in child maltreatment. (Author/LHW)