Although there is consensus in the mental health literature that women report more distress and depressive symptoms than men, it is not clear if this applies to all age groups. To examine the relationship of gender and distress among older adults, two methods were employed. First, a review was conducted of all random community surveys conducted…

Many psychological and physiological disorders may have some etiology in an unconstructive response to anger. Still others may be exacerbated by repressed or suppressed anger. Anger is often a problem for clients seeking therapy, yet psychologists have little research upon which to develop a viable therapeutic approach. While skills in…

Six issues of the newsletter address practical matters for parents of handicapped children. The first issue examines behavior and offers suggestions such as avoiding inconsistency and idle threats while holding reasonable expectations. The second issue continues the discussion on behavior with ideas for disciplining the child fairly but…

A study was conducted with a sample of 80 black mothers of mildly to profoundly mentally retarded children in the Pretoria, South Africa, townships of Atteridgeville and Mamelodi. The study sought to identify support systems utilized by the mothers, identify latent systems that could be supportive to the mothers, ascertain the extent to which…

It has been estimated that about 30% of children will spend some time in a stepfamily and that 10% of children will experience two divorces of the custodial parent before they are 16 years of age. While there exists a substantial amount of research on divorce, there is a paucity of studies on remarriage. A longitudinal study was conducted to…

This document presents a discussion of how to set up an on-campus peer support system designed to help college students cope with stress. The possible functions of a peer support center are outlined and features of a proposal for such a center are listed, including a clear mandate of the center, a rationale for the services to be provided, a list…

Acknowledging that college life has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, this book tells parents what to expect as their children leave home. Beginning with the college admissions process, practical solutions are offered for specific problems. Topics covered include: basic issues every family should discuss before the student leaves for…

In 1980, the Office of Continuing Education and Public Service at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign acquired a W. K. Kellogg Foundation grant to establish a 4-year model Community Information and Education Service (CIES). Working with the university's Cooperative Extension Service and five community colleges, CIES initially focused on…

Promoting coordinated and/or joint programs among local agencies is one strategy small, rural communities can use to cope with rapid population and economic growth. Interagency coordination is a process in which two or more organizations come together to solve a specific problem or meet a specific need. Coordination means more than just…

The research described in this report, part of a professional experience program funded by Brisbane (Australia) College of Advanced Education, was undertaken to investigate the incidence and causes of high stress levels among secondary students in Queensland, and to recommend ways of helping these students reduce stress or cope with it more…

In an effort to explain early maternal adaptation, a longitudinal study aimed to delineate the relative importance of maternal expectations for infant behavior, maternal descriptions of infant temperament, and the interaction of these variables, as proposed in the Goodness of Fit model. Infant temperament was considered an environmental variable,…

The director of a child care facility implemented a practicum designed to assist preschool children with coping strategies. Of a class of 26 children, 8 males and 5 females were physically aggressive; 9 males and 5 females were verbally aggressive; and several children were antisocial, or exhibited withdrawal, disturbed, or immature behaviors. The…

This book is concerned with the problem of student stress and the possibility that children and adolescents will internalize ineffective coping strategies used by adult models available to them. The introductory chapter explains a need for an educational plan to promote ways of controlling stress; recommends a systematic approach to managing…

The project described in this paper focuses on researching approaches to ease the student's transition from elementary to middle school. The method presented equips teachers with an eight-step strategy for helping students think through everyday decisions and stressful situations. The materials target situations that children face while…

This short course is designed to help students define sexual harassment, recognize it as a form of discrimination, and learn to deal with it effectively. The course outlines five 40-minute sessions, each including objectives, appropriate exercises, student worksheets, and transparency masters. Unit titles are: The Road to Awareness--Definitions;…