Evaluated the Primary Mental Health Project (PMHP), a school-based mental health program for the early detection and prevention of school-adjustment problems. Assessed the PMHP's effectiveness by evaluating seven consecutive annual cohorts of children. Results strongly and consistently showed that children seen through the PMHP were judged to have…

A definition and discussion of cost-benefit/cost-effectiveness analysis and its applications and limitations are presented. Case studies of cost-benefit analysis are given which apply to the mental health field. Includes a brief annotated biliography. (Author/RC)

Consultation to school personnel following student suicides led to a program of prevention through training school personnel. The program increased the ability of resource persons available to adolescents--teachers, counselors and school nurses--to recognize signs of suicidal depression and to respond effectively to suicidal students. (Author)

The design and testing of a simulation of the planning evaluation process for use in training is presented and its use in a five-day professional workshop is described. Comments are made on this trial run and on the task of evaluation training in general. (MH)

Investigated the efficacy of experiential modeling-role-playing and lecture-discussion training techniques for college student mental health paraprofessionals. The Helper Response Preference Inventory and the Group Assessment of Interpersonal Traits revealed significantly better counseling skills for students trained with modeling-role-playing…

Argues that community colleges and community mental health agencies have complementary roles to play in providing individuals with positive educational experiences that can be positive outlets for growth. Cites examples of courses to foster preventive mental health. (AYC)

Mental health resources on most college campuses are taxed to their limits. A program to develop the faculty's "counseling skills" is discussed. (Author)

Providing housing and supports for people with psychiatric disabilities, particularly those who are homeless, is a major public policy challenge. Summarizes ways in which the concept of these needs is rapidly shifting in the mental health field. This population is increasingly seen as capable of full-community participation and integration. (AF)

Describes "program without walls" for developing community services in rural areas. Emphasizes importance of creative collaboration and redesign of traditional support programs to offer comprehensive community services tailored to needs of rural families and individuals. Suggests practical applications of "without walls" model. (Author/TES)

Description of the development of a theoretically based instrument--the Computer Aversion Scale (CAVS)--to measure negative reactions to computers, focuses on the use of microcomputers in the mental health field. Previous efforts to assess computer anxiety are reviewed, and studies testing the reliability and validity of the CAVS are described.…

A survey was made of provincial ministries and voluntary associations in nine Canadian provinces and two territories, to assess service provision to mentally retarded citizens with emotional problems. The survey focused on government agencies' involvement in service delivery, settings for short- and long-term care, quality of services available,…

Services for people with mental retardation in the Netherlands are examined, with emphasis on normalization, placement options including group homes and institutionalization, guidance for families through the Social Pedological Service, and the care of mental illness in mentally retarded persons through special diagnostic and treatment centers.…

Examination of 31 therapeutic wilderness programs specializing in mental health treatment revealed that most programs served high-risk youth using a variety of outdoor modalities; that there was not a consensus on the definition of therapeutic; and that, in most cases, nonprofessional staff were responsible for therapeutic interventions. (LP)

A literature review describes evaluation activities in mental health services in financial, programmatic/clinical, and new constituency areas. Expanding reimbursement for alternative mental health services is offered as a way of developing a formal structure to ensure better utilization of evaluation results. (SLD)

A new measure of health status, the Health Status Scale, is presented. This five-indicator scale is used as the dependent variable in a regression equation using six common predictors of health status. Results indicate that health facilities are the most significant predictors of health status. (SLD)