Clients (N=408) reported receiving the most help on medical and vocational problems from doctors and rehabilitation counselors respectively, and the most help with personal, social, and family problems from family and friends. These results and the potential use of nonprofessionals or lay persons in the rehabilitation process are discussed.…

Retrospective analysis indicated hysterical conversion reactions are uncommon prior to age five, uncommon in in-patient psychiatric practice, and are more common among girls than among boys. The frequency of previous psychiatric difficulties in both the child and his/her family suggests that symptom formation is but one component in ongoing…

A description of the effects of rejected minority status on the stability of the black family unit and the consequent personality distortions of black children. (EH)

Presents variables related to child abuse appearing in the research, and points out gaps of knowledge in this area. Social stresses exacerbate underlying personality difficulties and induce psychological problems by placing the individual under stress. Families facing stresses also are frequently involved in child abuse because they contain more…

Analyzed 360 university students to see if parentification can predict certain personality characteristics. Results indicated that for both genders, parentification was a significant predictor of masochistic and narcissistic personality, but not of compulsive characteristics. Results support theory that parentification can manifest in two…

Applies codependency group model to families of obsessive-compulsive people based on view that these families are normal, feeling people who are trying to cope with unremitting stress. Clinical vignettes illustrate how these families are similar to families of alcoholics in their management of emotions and in their dysfunctional behaviors. (JBJ)

This report begins by providing two case examples of closed head injuries in families. Closed head injuries or traumatic brain injuries are briefly defined and it is noted that brain injury can cause socialization problems, personality changes, and confusion. It is suggested that families that have an individual member with a closed head injury…

Psychological abuse hits a child from many different sources. It is also the most difficult to counter. The counselor is in a delicate position when faced with the child she/he knows is being harmed by his parents. These students need help. (Author/BEF)

This article synthesizes the research defining social problems of some children with learning disabilities, especially the role of communication skills deficits. Traditional emphases on family dysfunction, school failure, or personality disturbances are seen to be negated by research which suggests that neural aberrations trigger deficient…

This document presents a practicum designed to address the problems encountered when a child in nondirective play therapy becomes able to express emotions and parents, unable to accept their child's new expressions of anger, withdraw the child from therapy at a time when he or she is most vulnerable. The development and implementation of a program…

Emotional child abuse is virtually inevitable in the context of the traditional nuclear family and often has a more detrimental effect on children than other, more widely publicized forms of maltreatment. This paper documents clinical, statistical, and empirical evidence showing that "normative" child-rearing practices in our culture have…

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether there was a consistent relationship between various deviant personality patterns and the status of the home from which the child came. Subjects were 300 adolescents from a population of 834 Caucasian teenagers, aged 12 to 18, not mentally deficient or retarded, from across the U.S., who were…

There are four general approaches to treatment for the symptomatic child. In individual child psychotherapy, the child is seen alone and play therapy is often utilized to help the child become aware of his feelings and express them more appropriately. In conjoint parent-child psychotherapy and counseling, the child is seen together with one…

Assessed association between interspousal aggression and child problems after controlling for parents' general marital discord among 87 couples requesting marital therapy. Spouses completed measures of marital aggression, marital discord, child problems, and family demographics. Results showed that marital aggression contributed unique variance to…

Longitudinal studies from Hawaii, the continental United States, and Great Britain have identified several personality, familial, and environmental variables that promote resiliency in youths at risk. This article discusses these variables and provides counselors with an assessment technique and strategies to promote a salutogenesis perspective.…