Assessed personality functioning in 19 fatally and chronically ill outpatient children. Found important differences in measures of distress that are thought to be roughly the same. Suggests the most common empirical methods are poorly fitted to the task of understanding the distress of fatally or chronically ill children. (Author/JAC)

Describes supportive group therapy for parents who sought relief from the painful grief experienced after the suicide of their child. Results indicate parents who felt overwhelmed by feelings of shame, guilt, self-doubt, confusion, and isolation found some relief in the universality of their grief and felt accepted and understood. (Author)

In a university setting, children of alcoholics met for a series of sessions to discuss their similar backgrounds and to identify coping mechanisms. The students received information on treatment for the alcoholic parent and for themselves in the event that they should become alcoholics. (JN)

Explored interrelationships among a set of clients' reactions to disability. Used a Likert-type scale to rate clients' reactions arranged in six contrasting pairs. Smallest space analysis yielded a two-dimensional solution of reactions. Described the resulting configuration in terms of active-passive and external-internal dimensions. (Author)

Summarizes some recent findings on the causes of teacher burnout and suggests things that individual teachers, administrators, and professional organizations can do to alleviate stress. (SJL)

Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominantly inherited disorder. No definitive method for the preclinical detection of carriers is known. The consequences of this diagnosis are discussed. The significance of genetic counseling and a description of the phases in psychological coping is presented to enable informed decision making by family…

Evaluated a self-help treatment manual consisting of stimulus control, rapid smoking, and coping relaxation techniques. While the overall program was moderately effective, groups did not differ in percentage of baseline smoking or in number of subjects abstinent at posttreatment. Implications for self-help smoking reduction manuals are discussed.…

Discusses various aspects of stress: benefits, adverse effects, how individuals respond to stress, management of stress, how normal development and family living produce stress in adolescents, and skills needed to cope with stress. (CT)

A factor analysis of questionnaire responses from (N=189) victims of life-threatening accidents identified three dimensions of the altered state of consciousness produced by dangerous circumstances. These dimensions, included depersonalization, hyperalertness, and mystical consciousness, appeared meaningful in terms of the endangered personality's…

Describes a structured group program called Depression Management Training (DMT). The purpose of DMT is to provide an intensive, interactive experience to participants who have problems handling recurrent, episodic depression. Suggests DMT increases participants' awareness of multidimensional sources of depression and enhances their coping…

The article reviews recent literature on families of learning disabled (LD) children. The literature describing parental reactions to the diagnosis of learning disabilities and the problems inherent in living with these children is discussed, as well as the children's reactions. (Author)

Characteristics of a corporate family style of functioning are defined. Crisis is seen coming from a disruption in the support system of one or more members of the family. The objective of treatment is to reinforce the family without necessarily changing their values or style of functioning. (Author)

The cognitive theories of Beck and Ellis were used to identify cognitive phenomena thought to be related to social anxiety. Their constructs, risk appraisal and irrational beliefs, were operationalized for this study. Both discriminated between a clinical sample of anxious men and a group of competent daters. (Author)

Explores how principals use some of the discretionary resources at their command to come to an accommodation with problems of resource inadequacy, challenges to authority, and conflicting role expectations. Uses the framework provided by the theory of street-level bureaucracy. (Author/IRT)

Residents of community settings show more positive social integration, distinctive patterns of preference for interaction with and perceptions of the elderly, and an enhanced positive self-conception. The aged subculture in retirement communities tends to be retreatist in content rather than activist. (Author)