Proposes a needs-based taxonomy of leisure activities. Study participants (n=3,771) indicated the extent to which leisure activities met different psychological needs. Results support theories that leisure experiences affect individuals' physical and mental health. Provides a taxonomy of 12 leisure activity clusters so as to allow greater…

Notes that low Medicare reimbursement rates are already causing some mental health professionals to turn away elderly patients. Considers baby boomer cohort who, unlike elders today, have high rates of psychiatric illness and are more likely to seek mental health services. Projects increasing gap over next 25 years between need and availability of…

The study evaluated the total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol of 40 adults (mean age 37.5 years) with mental retardation residing at an intermediate care facility. Results indicated that 59 percent of the males and 68 percent of the females were at moderate to high risk for coronary heart disease. (DB)

The Refugee Health Education Program was developed to provide refugees from the Soviet Union, Iran, Vietnam, and Cambodia with information on disease prevention, chronic disease management, and effective utilization of New York's health services. Additional goals include health promotion through culturally adpated education and provision of…

Examines the African-American community's response to the HIV/AIDS crisis, focusing on historical and cultural factors that may have undermined intervention and education efforts. Advocates the design and provision of a culture-specific HIV risk reduction program and offers specific culture-relevant guidelines for AIDS risk reduction efforts. (SM)

The Adolescent Health Concerns Inventory assesses youth concerns and teacher and parent beliefs about youth concerns in such areas as substance abuse, environment, sexuality, safety, nutrition, social and emotional health, relationships, and the future. Tests on a sample of 419 high school students established its content and construct validity.…

Investigates the health status of 310 homeless and marginally housed people to determine the usefulness of mental health self-help agencies (SHAs) in addressing their physical health needs. Findings indicated that frequencies of health problems among respondents were similar to those of other homeless or marginally housed groups and that the study…

Confronted by her cancer, a medical librarian finds her own best information sources and redefines "information therapy." Discussion includes sorting through the information, the positive effects of humor and staying productive and at work. (AEF)

The transition of people with intellectual disability (ID) from care institutions to the community according to Western policy results in a shift of responsibility towards primary health care services. In order to provide optimal care to people with ID living in the community, general practitioners need to be aware of the specific health problems…

The article reports that a wayward research project shattered the trust last year between Arizona State University and a small American Indian tribe in the bottom of the Grand Canyon. This scandal exposed once again the need for tribal governments and Native American communities to get involved in regulating research on human subjects. In response…

Research on bereavement and grief has burgeoned in the past 20 years, with the publication of scores of research reports, reviews, and compendia. This report therefore serves as a road map to information identified in that time period as critical to understanding advances in research on bereavement and grief, with a focus on grief and health. It…

Consideration of the relationship between physical and mental health co-morbidities in ageing persons with Down syndrome (DS) and Alzheimer's dementia (AD) is of clinical importance both from a care and resource perspective. To investigate and measure health co-morbidities in ageing persons with Down syndrome with and without AD. Recorded physical…

This research brief, the ninth in a series of National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) briefs focused on children who have come in contact with the child welfare system, examines the well-being of children in substantiated and unsubstantiated maltreatment cases. It provides information about their access to child welfare, mental…

As educators and experts assess the quality of student mental-health services in light of the deadly shootings last April 16, the Virginia Tech gunman's immigrant background is focusing attention on what immigration workers say is a lack of services tailored to such groups. Mental-health professionals say that, in general, even school districts…

An increasing number of people with disabilities live in the community in Australia and internationally. Many of these individuals live in the family home, on their own, in hostels or in the traditional "group home" model, and receive varying levels of support and care. There is a growing concern that many of the care and support needs…