Study of 176 adolescent drug abusers found that greater psychopathology at pretreatment was not found to be related to less improvement in drug treatment. For the male subsample, greater paranoid trends predicted to less reduction in substance use/abuse. Borderline psychotic symptomatology predicted to more improvement. (RJM)

This longitudinal study examined the hypothesis that two different types of joint-attention skills were related to verbal and nonverbal IQ measures through middle childhood. Subjects were infants born preterm and tested at 13 months and at 8 years. Findings provide support for the hypothesis that the initiation of joint attention makes a unique…

Examined the effectiveness of small sets of predictor variables for correctly identifying children as developmentally delayed at four to seven years of age. A combination of six biomedical risk items, maternal education level, and four subscale scores from the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory is effective when used as…

Examined similarities in sex-role conflict between female athletes and alcoholic women. Findings showed female athletes and female alcoholics (N=60) similar to each other and different from controls (N=30) along dimensions of sex-role conflict. Discusses findings relative to female athletes' susceptibility to alcoholism. (Author/PVV)

The psychometric properties and validity of the Reasons for Living (RFL) Inventory were examined among psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents (N=253) identified as suicide ideators, suicide attempters, and psychiatric controls. Factor analysis provided support for RFL for clinical and research assessment while producing slightly different…

A method for predicting high dental caries increments for children, based on previous research, is presented. Three clinical findings were identified as predictors: number of sound primary molars, number of discolored pits/fissures on first permanent molars, and number of buccal and lingual smooth surfaces of first permanent molars with white…

Despite the dramatic increase in incarcerated mothers that has occurred in the past decades, there is a paucity of family research focusing on the children affected by maternal imprisonment. The present study investigated family environments and intellectual outcomes in 60 children between the ages of 2 and 7 years during their mothers'…

Illness is rarely considered a "risk factor" in adolescence. This study tests illness, suicidality and substance use as outcome measures in a path analysis of 1028 Swiss adolescents in secondary prevention programs. The model showed that negative mood (depression and anxiety) predicted two paths. One path led from negative mood to…

Neonatal assessments should provide valid estimates of behavior and neurological status, reflect recovery from acute effects, predict subsequent outcome, and point to specific intervention strategies for any problems noted. The authors report relations among measures designed to evaluate early behavioral capabilities and dysfunctions in areas…

Examined 4-year-olds for effects on IQ of prenatal cocaine exposure, exposure to other substances, risk factors, and neonatal medical problems. Found that maternal verbal IQ and low environmental risk predicted child IQ. Cocaine exposure negatively predicted children's overall IQ and verbal reasoning scores for boys only. Maternal harsh…

Examined through mail surveys of youth, parents, and social workers the predictive value of selected risk and protective factors in explaining self-sufficiency skills of 219 ethnically diverse 12- to 15-year-olds in foster care. Found that protective factors related to greater self-sufficiency skills, and risk factors were negatively associated.…

Summarizes four documents and seven journal articles in the ERIC database that examine children's self-esteem. Topics include self-esteem and academic achievement in black male adolescents, self-esteem and social responsibility, factors associated with self-esteem, self-esteem and peer relationships, enhancing self-esteem, and predictors of…

Examined risk factors leading to adolescent substance abuse so as to provide greater understanding of their influence. Divided risk factors into four categories: demographic, social, behavioral, and individual. Separated each category into its respective components, including ages of susceptibility and gender differences. Offers information on…

Information about family background and birth history was evaluated with respect to its power to predict speech language status in 662 preschool children. A set of risk criteria was found to accurately predict 55 percent of those children with poor communication skills and 76 percent of those with normal communication development. (Author/DB)

Assessment of 486 first-quarter first graders identified 99 children as being at risk for reading difficulties, half of whom then received a phonological processing intervention. Results support the early identification of children at risk for reading difficulties and the effectiveness of the phonological processing intervention. (DB)