Emphasizes the importance of play therapy for hospitalized children. Describes separation anxiety and psychological patterns including protest, despair, and denial. Describes the play therapy program at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, which helps children express their fears and cope with anxiety. (JAC)

Describes a series of workshops offering women an opportunity to explore the realities of divorce. Experienced volunteers provide information on coping with a new single identity, handling children, finances and legal aspects and growth through the mastery of crisis. A follow-up study confirmed the value of the program. (JAC)

Studies of personality integration in children and adults show that certain personality characteristics that predict effective behavior appear to be remarkably continuous regardless of differences in age, gender, race, or socioeconomic status. The studies point to the importance of self-esteem for effective behavior. (PP)

Books which show children and adolescents coping with current social and family problems are discussed. The books deal with the changing structure of families, divorce, children's loneliness, urban problems, death, and other issues. (PP)

Examined reasons for alcohol use in a sample of detained and adjudicated male juveniles (N=92). Findings indicated that alcohol use not only appeared to be a multidimensional phenomenon, but that it had special meaning as a mood altering substance to help cope with stressful feelings and/or problems. (Author/RC)

Uses a life-stress questionnaire modified for older respondents to study the impact of life stress in 62 patients hospitalized for neurobehavioral treatment. Results suggest that 17 items may be sufficient to estimate life-change effects. The degree of stress impact must be sought systematically to understand stress. (Author/JAC)

Describes the role of the counselor in self-help groups for the bereaved. Based on experience with the Compassionate Friends, a group of bereaved parents, the counselors' most useful role appears to be that of an intermediary, resource person, and facilitator of group processes and organization. (Author/JAC)

Data analyzed from Communication Climate and Student Questionnaires confirmed the following hypotheses: (1) liked classes have a more supportive and less defensive communication climate than disliked classes, and (2) student behavior in classes with a defensive communication climate is characterized by the use of coping mechanisms (daydreaming,…

Untrained normal achievers attributed failure to adoption of specific task strategies, while untrained learning disabled boys attributed failure to task difficulty. Characteristics of learned helplessness were apparent in the impaired performance of the learning-disabled boys. Normal achievers appeared to have developed active and independent…

Evaluated the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral approach to stress management for teachers. Results showed the training program significantly reduced stress and anxiety among 128 urban secondary school teachers. Results also indicated decreases in motoric manifestations of anxiety in the classroom as a result of training. (Author/JAC)

Determined the role of the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) in prediction of parental coping with leukemia. None of the standard CPI subscales was a significant predictor of coping. Coping with the specific situation may be a better predictor of later coping with a similar situation than more global assessments. (Author)

Examined the relationships of occupational exploratory experience to interest pattern and structure. College students (N=48) completed an occupational information survey and the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory to assess interest pattern development. Results indicated that career information seeking is related to level of interest pattern…

An effort to teach medical students practical stress management skills is discussed. A group of students volunteered to participate in a six-session program that taught them personal stress management techniques including self-relaxation training, schedule-planning, priority-setting, leisure time-planning, and cognitive modification techniques.…

Describes the most frequent stress producers identified by school administrators. Suggests four areas that warrant further training and improvement--time management, interpersonal relations, community relations, and coping with rules and regulations. (Author/WD)

Describes the Death Threat Index and its underlying theoretical base and procedure. Suggests if the procedure is varied slightly, a more qualitative picture of a subject's construct of death is possible. The significance of the complexity and individuality of death constructs for death education programs is considered. (Author/JAC)