Idioms of anger salient to mental health identified by focus groups of Puerto Rican adults were administered to community (n=403) and clinical (n=128) samples of Puerto Rican respondents in a rating scale format. Results suggest that taking cultural expression of symptomatology into account enhances the assessment of mental health. (SLD)

Describes qualitative research conducted at a Navajo Nation nursing home in Arizona. Events and circumstances resulting in nursing home placement are discussed and illustrated with case vignettes. Provides overview of Navajo history and traditions. Discussion stresses importance of acknowledging and acting on significance of culture in all aspects…

Examined 10 measures of personality, self-image, and emotional and family problems in 2,158 Australian adolescents, some of whom had suffered parental loss. Data revealed pattern of poorer adjustment in adolescents who had lost a parent but clearly demonstrated that type of loss and family reconstitution had no differential effects on psychosocial…

Examined the triggering effect of maritally related suicide stories in the mass media on monthly suicide rates of those involved in divorce or in marital distress. Support was found for this effect, independent of season and of changes in unemployment, but the unemployment rate was more closely associated with suicide than suicide stories in the…

Collaborative teaching offers one strategy for combining efforts of special and regular educators to provide a strong education for all students and avoid special-needs students' isolation from peers. Staffing and scheduling may be a problem at secondary level. Collaborative models require teachers' clear understanding of respective roles,…

Describes the major phenomena that characterize obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD) in children and adolescents. Provides examples of behavioral manifestations of these disorders in the school setting. Discusses the school psychologist's role, with particular emphasis placed on a behavioral consultative approach for assessing and treating…

This paper examines the impact of multiple grade skipping on social adjustment and self-esteem of extremely gifted students. A survey of the literature and research in Australia and the United States on well-planned and carefully monitored radical acceleration finds no evidence that students suffered social or emotional problems; to the contrary,…

Examines the role of law schools in creating emotionally dysfunctional students, and suggests ways in which they might act to produce healthier law students and practitioners, and perhaps a more functional legal system. Discusses lack of social and emotional support, lack of physical activity, and women's issues; offers problems and solutions for…

Reports on a comparative study in the United Kingdom of how a group of children with emotional and behavioral difficulties and children who attend a mainstream school use the computer application, Bubble Dialogue, to express themselves. Discusses strategies the children used to resolve interpersonal conflicts and implications of results. (AEF)

A study compared 365 Jamaican adolescents and 365 American adolescents (ages 12-18) on scores on the Child Behavior Checklists, Teacher's Report Form, and Youth Self-Report. Adolescents in both societies reported more problems than parents or teachers. Jamaican adolescents had higher ratings for the Withdrawn and Somatic Complaints syndromes.…

Examined relation between puberty and adjustment problems in 7th through 10th-grade males. Found that, compared with less physically developed peers, more physically developed boys in grade 7 manifested more externalized hostile feelings and internalized distress in grades 8-10. Pubertal timing related to distress and hostility, even when…

A study involving three boys (ages 8-10) with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) and giftedness and six comparison boys with only 1 of the 2 exceptionalities, found that participants with co-occurring giftedness and AD/HD had difficulties regulating their emotions, problems with peer relationships, and stressed families. (Contains…

Discusses impact of defining homosexual orientation on development and identity formation of youths who "come out" during adolescence. Four dimensions are presented: recognizing oneself as lesbian or gay, exploring sexual orientation through the gay and lesbian community, disclosing sexual orientation to others, and becoming more comfortable with…

The Purdue Shyness Rating Scales were completed by 67 mothers and 21 day care teachers of 67 children, ages 4 and 5, to compare mothers' and teachers' ratings of children's shyness. Moderate correlations between ratings by mothers and teachers were found. Results suggested that teacher assessments of shyness may be closely tied to the child's…

Reviews assessment research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents. Assessment methods covered include structured interviews, questionnaires, and psychophysiological evaluation. Although initial attempts to evaluate traumatized children were either unstructured or based on incomplete screening for PTSD symptoms, recent…