This article describes the development and growth of "Lifestyle Improvements in the Family Environment" ("L.I.F.E."), a school-based heart-health screening and intervention program. The primary goals of "L.I.F.E." through three rounds of grant funding remained constant: (a) to identify cardiovascular risk factors in…

Previously, the researchers proposed and tested a diagnostic framework for women with eating-related concerns who seek college health and mental health treatment. The framework emphasized moderate problems characterized by frequent binging, occasional purging, and frequent exercise; rumination; body image and self-esteem concerns; ambivalence…

This study examines the usefulness of a screening process implemented in the context of a Head Start home visit and compares families who screened positive for substance abuse with those who did not on an array of child and family indicators important for healthy child development. The sample included 1,105 low-income families with preschool-age…

The early detection of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by teachers can contribute to the prevention of secondary disorders in a child and this can have serious implications for the child's overall development. The aims of the present study were to examine: (1) the validity of the original assessment of the teachers in…

There is considerable debate about the assessment of psychopathic traits in adolescence due in part to questions regarding the stability of traits. We investigated the 6-month stability of psychopathic traits in a sample of 83 male adolescent offenders using an augmented protocol for the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version and the self-report…

In 15-16 year olds from Oslo, Norway, we investigated the occurrence of self-reported dyslexia and reading/writing difficulties (RWD), and we measured dyslexic symptoms using the "Duvan" dyslexia screening test. The prevalence of self-reported dyslexia was 8.2%, while 10.4% reported severe or moderate RWD. The group of self-reported…

The present study examines the validity of the Dutch Children's Communication Checklist (CCC) for children in kindergarten in a community sample, in order to assess the feasibility of using it as a screening instrument in the general population. Teachers completed the CCC for a representative sample of 1396 children at kindergarten level, taken…

In an attempt to provide technically adequate screening with criteria for referring children for further evaluation, the Diagnostic Index (DI) was developed. The DI expresses the relationship between a child's chronological and developmental ages, identifies as a percentage of normal development the discrepancy between age appropriate behaviors…

Employee theft is widespread and difficult to detect. Many companies have attempted to control the employee theft problem through pre-employment screening. The use of paper-and-pencil honesty tests in this process has become increasingly common. These two studies empirically investigated job applicants' (N=450) reactions to taking a pre-employment…

The estimates of employees who steal range from approximately 20 percent to 40 percent. While researchers are still attempting to quantify both the total frequency and cost of employee theft, the existence of meaningful amounts of theft by employees is widely accepted. Professionally developed pre-employment honesty tests do not appear to infringe…

Blood cholesterol was measured in 750 teenagers between the ages of 12 and 19 as a screening method for hyperlipidemia, which (along with hypertension and cigarette smoking) is a major factor in the onset of coronary heart disease. (MJB)

Demonstrates the complexities and processes involved in constructing a screening test for posttraumatic stress disorder. Discusses item development, field testing, and preliminary results from administration of the Stress Event Test. Concludes that useful instruments can be designed out of one's experience as a practitioner. (Author/NB)

Examines the effectiveness of selected assessment and screening procedures for identifying successful and unsuccessful participants in employment and training programs conducted by the Program for Assessment, Counseling, and Employment of the Young Men's Christian Association of Greater New York. (Author)

Performed confirmatory factor analysis on data collected from 244 undergraduates to develop a 38-item short form of the University Residence Environment Scale. (Author)

Concludes that while the screening test consists of well-designed and carefully standardized items, its overwhelming preponderance of visual-motor tasks minimizes its usefulness in screening for possible school learning problems. Suggests that it might best be used by therapists working with children in treatment facilities that follow a medical…