Addresses some issues of a group of caregivers who are virtually ignored--the elderly who provide care rather than receive it. Contends elderly parents who care for disabled adult children may have needs slightly different from other caregivers. Concludes research is needed so that social workers can better serve these families. (Author/ABL)

A questionnaire to 96 spouses of vocational agriculture teachers in West Virginia identified the major benefits and problems experienced by the spouses. The 60 respondents named job security and spouse's range of skills as benefits, work overload without additional compensation as a major problem. (JOW)

Examines whether there is a difference in the threshold of withdrawal from schoolwork between children of divorced parents and children from intact families. Results showed that children of divorced parents have lower levels of achievement and lower withdrawal thresholds than do children from intact families. (Author/BSR)

Sixty self-rated depressed, behavioral-problem, and normal third- through fifth-grade children closely matched for sex, age, and socioeconomic status were assessed for number, quality, and impact of stressful life events in the past year. Results indicated that dysphoria-reporting children experienced more life events and higher qualitative index…

Findings from a study of more than 200 families with adopted children yield valuable insights into the reasons why adoptive relationships collapse and what factors agencies should consider in matching children and families to avoid disruption. (Author/BB)

Provides background to a forum on psychological mistreatment of children. This forum attempts to stimulate efforts to examine the prevention, treatment, research, and policy aspects of this phenomenon, which many psychologists contend is the core issue in child abuse and neglect. (Author/LHW)

Psychological maltreatment appears to be more prevalent and potentially more destructive than other forms of child abuse and neglect. However, it receives little attention from the public or professional sector. This article reviews the literature and concludes that psychological maltreatment is the core issue in child maltreatment. (Author/LHW)

Identifies several research directions for psychologists interested in studying the psychological maltreatment of children and youth. In order to organize research, two conceptual perspectives are suggested: ecological and developmental. Policy issues are also discussed. (Author/LHW)

The authors explain how role playing helps home health aides learn to cope with common problems that arise in their work with the homebound elderly and their families. (CT)

Compared interpersonal and behavioral observational systems in their ability to differentiate families with a bulimic-anorexic daughter using the modified Marital Interaction Coding System (MICS) and the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB). Results showed both measures successfully discriminated between groups, accounting for…

Need for behaviorally based report procedures capable of describing important aspects of family functioning is expressed. Adaptation of the Areas of Change Questionniare is presented for assessment of parent-adolescent relationships. The potential utility of this instrument in clinical and research efforts is described, and initial psychometric…

Compared 30 adolescent runaways to 30 nonrunaways for age, sex, ethnicity and family structure. Empathy and positive regard were measured between adolescents and their parents. Runaways and their parents reported far less empathy and positive regard from each other as compared to the nonrunaways and their parents. (Author/JAC)

Goals and procedures of 10 group counseling sessions are discussed, touching on aspects of children's feelings toward the parents and the separation/divorce. (Author/CL)

Parents of a premature infant with possible developmental problems were having marital difficulties stemming from different attitudes and approaches towards the professionals treating their child. (CL)

Reviewed popular literature (self-help books, magazines, adolescent fiction) that identified stepfamily strengths. Potential strengths of stepfamily life were identified in all three sources. The primary focus of self-help literature and magazine articles, however, was on stepfamily problems. Concludes that adolescent fiction may be used to good…