Contemporary society is failing to meet the developmental needs of youth. A peer counseling program using a variety of approaches including unstructured drop-in time for arts and crafts, games or simple interaction; planned social activities; and weekly 3-hour meetings was implemented. This study examined the outcome of the peer counseling program…

The literature discussing professional practices of school psychology in South America is very meager. This study attempted to identify demographic characteristics of school psychologists in four South American countries, their typical responsibilities, significant problems, and threats that jeopardize the delivery of psychological services within…

Although research has examined influence of social ties on health and well-being, it has not clearly identified the characteristics of social support networks that facilitate coping and mediate responses to stress. This study was conducted to determine whether individual differences in social support networks would discriminate between individuals…

This study examined the effectiveness of selected coping strategies in dealing with teacher stress in the classroom setting. Factors contributing to teacher burnout, (e.g., class size, school size, student behavior), were also weighed. Data were gathered from 117 elementary and secondary teachers by means of a questionnaire, and the Maslach…

The perceptions of burden in providing care to the disabled elderly by a family member may be affected by the caregiver's personal and social resources and by the differences in involvement and familial roles between the caregiver and the care receiver. To test this relationship, 41 spouse and adult daughter caregivers involved in a home-based…

A study was conducted to examine the role of positive and negative life circumstances and individual coping factors in the psychological adjustment of older individuals. Interviews were conducted with 32 men and 32 women between the ages of 65 and 75 who were retired from mid-level or managerial jobs at the University of Texas. Most of the…

A study investigated whether stress management could be enhanced among college students after the completion of a three credit personal health course. The subjects were 20 randomly selected male and female students enrolled in a personal health course at Emporia State University (Kansas). The 20 experimental subjects and the 15 members of a…

There has been little agreement regarding appropriate definitions of social anxiety. Many existing definitions are conceptually problematic and these problems have had serious methodological implications. Social anxiety may be defined as anxiety resulting from the prospect or presence of interpersonal evaluation in real or imagined social…

As a minority, women experience stress because of their gender when they enter the male-dominated profession of science. A review of the coping strategies used by women in dealing with the psychologically stressful situations of choosing a career in science is presented in this paper. This study is based on interviews with four women trained in…

The mental health needs of two-way migrants from Puerto Rico to the United States and back again are discussed in this paper. Four factors affecting Puerto Rican migrants are outlined. First, the relationship between migration and stress is considered. Often, it is noted, in migrating away from stressful economic conditions, the Puerto Rican…

The utility of a theoretical model of quality of life for graduate students was investigated. Variables that relate to the person-environment fit of graduate students were also examined. The data were collected via a biographical data form and seven psychometric instruments. The 142 subjects from two graduate departments at Peabody College were a…

The prevalence of dementias in the elderly is steadily increasing. While caring for a dementing patient at home, families are subject to tremendous physical stresses and emotional reactions such as guilt, anger, grief, role confusion, depression, resentment, and loneliness. Two group treatment models addressing the mental health needs of…

The perennial issues of which historians remind us are issues of pressure - those we experience as adults and those we put on our children. The recurrent ambivalences concern progress. Every generation imagines itself the first to be forced to confront the pellmell pace of modern life. History is nothing if not a study in unintended consequences.…

Two studies of graduate students living in a 13-story dormitory examined the effects of natural lighting, usable space, sex, culture, and floor height on perceptions of spaciousness, personalization of space, crowding, and lightness. Previous research had indicated differences between males and females in this area, but had not considered cultural…

Research partially supported by grants MH-12548-01 and CA-04937-07 from the U.S. Public Health Service and by Bureau of State Services grant NIH-5-107A66.