Several inconsistencies in literature on adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) were found. This paper emphasizes that clinicians and those developing prevention programs should stop believing that certain characteristics are typical of all ACOAs. It makes recommendations for factors to be considered in programs for African American collegiate…

A rationale is presented for using a coping-skills training approach with college students who face important environmental demands. Two case examples of college students suffering from test anxiety illustrate the effectiveness of brief therapy approaches in teaching coping skills. (Author/CJ)

The author sought to identify differences in kinship social support, self-esteem, and coping responses between African American college students who identify themselves as adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and adult children of nonalcoholics (non-ACOAs) at 2 separate universities. The results indicate that there were no differences in levels of…

Objective: Researchers have previously reported that law students and medical students experience significant distress during their first year. The authors suspected that freshmen undergraduates might experience similar distress in their transition to college. Participants: They surveyed 242 undergraduate freshmen at the beginning and end of their…

Three evasive cognitive attributes that circumvent awareness of threat were studied to determine if they were related to stress symptoms in college students. Results are discussed. (Author/DF)

This study explored the relationship of cognitive distortions and coping strategies to depression in college students. A measure of cognitive distortions (the Interpretation Inventory) and a measure of strategies for coping with depression (the Active Checklist) were developed and used for this study. Results are discussed. (CJ)

Development of a college mental health service concerned with suicide intervention is described. Primary prevention programs emphasized ties with other agencies to facilitate referrals while secondary prevention programs encouraged psychotherapy and family involvement. (Author/DF)

Objective: Despite beliefs about weight gain in college, few researchers have evaluated this phenomenon. Participants: Participants were 18- to 31-year-old students at a midwestern university. The dependent variable was body mass index (BMI) change. Methods: The authors extracted predictor variables from a Health Risk Appraisal. These included…

College students' alcohol use as well documented, and published studies have indicated that athletes drink more frequently and more often to the stage of intoxication than do nonathletes. Some researchers have cited sociological factors to explain these behaviors, but neither the underlying emotional factors that drive students' alcohol use nor…

Describes the development of the Hassles Assessment Scale for Students in College, which measured student stress. Development involved item generation, psychometric evaluation, and revision. Separate student samples participated in each phase. Results found very high levels of internal consistency for the frequency, unpleasantness, and dwelling…

Colleges and universities need to be prepared to address the psychological impact of tragedies on their campuses. In this article, the author describes the development and successful implementation of campus postvention services in the aftermath of college student deaths by suicide as well as by natural and accidental causes. The program has been…