The current study examined important predictors of substance use during early adolescence. The authors hypothesized that adolescents' relationships with key adults (i.e., teachers and parents) influence their choices to use substances indirectly through links with their decisions regarding peer groups. A total of 461 middle school students from an…

This study aimed to investigate the family, school, peer and psychological factors that contribute to adolescent suicidal ideation. The participants were 1,358 (680 boys and 678 girls) Hong Kong Chinese adolescents who were divided into younger (12.3 years, n = 694) and older (15.4 years, n = 664) age groups. By using structural equation modeling,…

With few exceptions, virtually all research on the etiology of adolescent substance abuse has focused entirely on identifying risk factors while ignoring protective factors that insulate teenagers from drug involvement. This perspective fails to consider that protective forces may operate in both direct and interactive ways. This longitudinal…

Older persons (55 years and older) with cardiovascular disease are at increased risk for hospital readmission when compared to other subgroups of our population. This issue presents an economic problem, a concern for the quality and type of care provided, and an urgent need to implement innovative strategies designed to reduce the rising cost of…

This study examined whether cry acoustics enhance the prediction of developmental outcome in preterm infants, after accounting for medical and social variables. Selection criteria for 149 preterm subjects included being born at less than 35 weeks gestational age and less than 1,500 grams; for 25 term subjects, selection criteria included being…

Compliance with many health-promoting regimens is often poor, even among individuals with known chronic disease. Lifestyle changes recommended by cardiac rehabilitation educators are often not adopted or not maintained by clients having suffered myocardial infarction and/or coronary graft bypass surgery. Subjects were graduates (N=117) of a Phase…

This study, using multivariate analysis and operationalized variables, examined possible risk factors for childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in 3,958 Australian women. The variables significantly associated with CSA were physical abuse, having a mother who was mentally ill, not having someone to confide in, and being socially isolated. Different…

Evidence indicates that psychological dysregulation is an integral component of the liability for substance use disorder (SUD). This report discusses the rationale underlying the Dysregulation Inventory (DI), methods employed in item selection and scale construction, and preliminary results regarding psychometric properties. Results indicate that…

Analysis of data from 409 substantiated child abuse/neglect cases involving Hispanic caretakers found 7 of 19 indicators correctly predicted both allegations and substantiations of re-abuse/re-neglect. These indicators included prior abuse/neglect history of family, number of victims, primary caretaker abused as child, poor neglect/abuse history…

Examines three factors that may place adolescents at risk for aggression and violence: personality, affect, and family. Using a sample of male adolescents at risk for violence, a cluster analysis was conducted to categorize these adolescents in terms of personality characteristics. Concludes that, among male delinquents, elevated psychopathology…

Examined risk factors of 3-year-old sons in 58 families with alcoholic fathers and 16 families with nonalcoholic fathers. Found that sons of alcoholic fathers were more impulsive than sons of nonalcoholic fathers. No differences between the groups in developmental age, IQ, or behavior problems were found. (MDM)

Explores the need for drug-abuse treatment among drug-using arrestees in four U.S. cities. Results show that 30% to 55% of drug-using arrestees perceived a need for treatment. Explains that the most important predictors for perceived need for treatment are previous experience with drug treatment, having previously injected a drug, and having no…

Examined association between maternal responsiveness during infancy and middle-childhood behavior problems. Found that responsiveness was significantly associated with disruptive behavior problems but unrelated to attention problems. Absence of MRes during infancy increased risk of later disruptive behavior problems, even with concurrent parenting…

Analyzes correlates of marijuana use based on 3,690 effect sizes coded from 86 prospective longitudinal studies. Summarizes findings on strength of relationships for categorizing predictor variables, and implications of these relationships. Findings are relevant for intervention programmers and policymakers since they identify characteristics of…

Used a subsample from the Infant Health and Development Program to examine effects of neighborhood and family income and family risk factors on developmental test scores at ages 1 through 3. Family poverty was associated with lower scores at ages 2 and 3. Neighborhood affluence was associated with higher scores at age 3. Home environment was a…