Summarizes what is currently known about the potential, immediate, and long-term impact of child sexual abuse. The various problems and symptoms described in the literature on child sexual abuse are reviewed in a series of broad categories including posttraumatic stress, cognitive distortions, emotional pain, avoidance, an impaired sense of self,…

Factors which may affect school performance in children with asthma, including absenteeism, learning disabilities, psychological functioning, and medications, are reviewed. Recommendations are made to assist teachers in creating a classroom environment which promotes optimal academic and social development of students with asthma. (Author/DB)

Studied gender and career track influences on susceptibility to stressors. Results from 397 undergraduates show women studying for careers in traditional male professions were more susceptible to stressors than men with the same goals. Chronic job tension and home life events were stronger predictors of certain symptoms for these women than for…

Evaluated the relationship between abuse-specific variables and levels of depression, anxiety, and self-worth in a racially mixed sample of 134 sexually abused girls. Found penetration predicted a more serious outcome on all study variables, and an interaction effects between force and perpetrator's identity. (JBJ)

Examined differences in the independent and interdependent self-construals of 79 American and 71 East Asian graduate students studying in the United States and the influence of these self-construals on coping and stress. Self-construals and direct coping were the strongest predictors of stress for East Asian students, but were not predictive of…

Researchers have not yet agreed upon links between stress and illness. Levels of response mediated by the central nervous system are considered important in predicting and determining health consequences of stress. The paper uses the cardiovascular system to examine experimental evidence for the relationship between stress, health/illness, and…

Examines conceptual issues related to using exercise as a stress-management technique. The paper considers stress a complex process that involves the body and the mind. Coping strategies other than exercise include cognitive, somatic, and behavioral techniques. Research indicates exercise is as effective as other stress-management techniques. (SM)

Used homogeneity analysis and latent class analysis to analyze sexual behavior patterns in two samples of homosexually active men. Results support the existence of a single, nonlinear, latent dimension underlying male homosexual behaviors consistent with HIV-related risk taking, providing an efficient means to scale sexual behavior patterns. (RJM)

Students (n=87) with conduct disorders revealed higher self-ratings and teacher ratings in depression and anxiety than students with learning disabilities (LD) or no disabilities. LD students (n=85) did not self-rate as more depressed and anxious than nondisabled children but received higher depression ratings from teachers. Gender, age, and…

Examined influence of assault and participant characteristics on medical students' attitudes toward rape and nonsexual-assault victims. First- and third-year students read narratives of three types of assault patients. Female students revealed more favorable attitudes toward victims than did males. Implications for service delivery to rape victims…

Focused on mental health and protective factors in early adolescence. Significant relations between coping strategies and mental health were found, which are different according to gender: girls invest in more social relations, negative feelings, and consumption habits; boys often use sense of humor, or practice a hobby or sport. (JBJ)

This study of the emotional status of 133 Israeli adolescents and young adults found no significant differences between subjects with dyslexia and controls. Both groups were easily differentiated from psychiatric patients. Subjects with severe deficits in ability to remember details of a text, and with concentration difficulties, exhibited high…

The question of whether special education students exhibit more learned helpless behavior and a more external locus of control than regular students is examined. The effects of these psychological conditions on school success are considered, and programs for alleviating learned helplessness and establishing a more internal locus of control are…

This article discusses the psychological processes that may underpin successful travel and adjustment of newly visually impaired young adults. A survey of 71 subjects identified the following 5 clusters of feelings: self-efficacy, vigilance, role acceptance, disorientation, and cognitive effort. (Author/DB)

Interviews with 20 Ojibwa artists and teachers in isolated and urban Ontario communities suggest that creative expression is tied to and defined by social, cultural, ethical, and historical contexts. Conditions necessary for fostering creativity include time; materials; and an atmosphere of cooperation, psychological safety, and psychological…