Evaluates two training programs for asthmatic children, aged 7-14. The first group consisted of patients and their parents who participated in a five-day standardized family-oriented clinical asthma training program followed by monthly training sessions. The second group omitted these follow-up interventions. Results indicate that the first group…

Offers children's answers to the question, "Why do we listen to stories?" Explores what a group of second graders had to say about literature, imagination, and the place of stories in their own lives. Discusses the role of literature in unleashing imagination, helping humans see the big picture, and how "knowing the old helps us make the new." (SR)

Studied the impact of victimization and fear of crime on 56 Latina teenagers in urban and suburban areas. Fear of crime was associated not only with the variables traditionally correlated with fear of crime, but also with feelings of identity. Also examined were coping mechanisms Latina teenagers used to deal with those fears. (SLD)

A study of 39 college students enrolled in health classes evaluated the efficacy of training preprofessionals in how to use problem solving to help youth cope with stress. Participants who were taught a model of problem solving to manage excessive stress scored higher on measures of social problem solving and stress management. (Author/CR)

Describes creative stress management techniques for early childhood practitioners. Presents a model whereby the caregiver identifies the problem; conducts a personal scan to identify symptoms and reactions that form behavior patterns; chooses from options to alleviate stress reactions related to the body, emotions, actions/behavior, or the mind;…

Patterns of work and family balance were examined for 184 employed parents of children with serious emotional disorders. Results found that caregivers employed outside the home had higher levels of job stress than those working in the home but reported using work as a way of coping. (CR)

Summarizes lessons learned by the child welfare system in dealing with HIV/AIDS: extended families want to care for their own; family placements are preferable; secrecy exacerbates stigma and isolation; adolescent needs must be considered; focus on living with HIV; HIV affects total family; service provision must be culturally sensitive,…

Explores qualitative effects of the Bosnian peace-keeping deployment on 36 American military children whose parents were the first to be assigned. Many children experienced anxiety; distressing images of war; anger at the government; family abuse; worry about their mothers' coping abilities; and disruptions in family life, peer relationships, and…

Parents (N=45) of young children participated in either a child sexual abuse (CSA)-prevention workshop or a home-safety workshop. At follow-up interviews, parents who had participated in the CSA workshop reported having had significantly more discussions about CSA with their children than did control group parents. The coping appraisal components…

A study that investigated the coping strategies of 20 females with children (ages birth-4) with speech and language impairments found that most utilized effective coping strategies. Adaptive behaviors included liking the company of other people, feeling liked by others, awareness of the feelings of others, and a sense of happiness. (Author/CR)

Examined the relationship between child resilience and maternal employment status among Korean families resident in the United States. Found that mother's attitudes toward their employment status, father's supportiveness of that employment, and satisfaction with child care arrangements, but not employment itself, impacted reported children's…

Examines social support and coping in relation to resiliency among a sample of rural, low-income Appalachian African-American and White adolescents. Regression analyses reveal that social support from family and problem-focused, avoidance, and wishful-thinking forms of coping significantly predicted resiliency. Race and gender distinctions were…

Examines the differences in adolescent perceptions of life events, the level of stress due to life events, and coping strategies from high schools in three rural communities. Study finds substantial support for the hypotheses that differences do exist between communities and genders on life events, level of stress, and coping strategies. Discusses…

Discusses the use of children's picture books to assist preschool children's understanding of the "realness," permanence, and inclusiveness of death as part of the life cycle. Provides a list of "Do's and don'ts for helping children grieve" and a bibliography of books to share with preschoolers when a pet dies. (JPB)

Discusses progeria (or Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome), a rare childhood disorder that invariably results in death during adolescence. Describes the major medical aspects of progeria, and discusses the psychosocial implications of the disorder with particular emphasis on grief-triggered reactions. Presents an overview of psychosocial intervention…