Mentally retarded suicide attempters/ideators (n=22) were compared to 22 nonsuicidal mentally retarded adults referred for outpatient mental health services. Few differences were found between the two groups. The typical suicide attempter was a young adult with mild to borderline mental retardation and a physical disability or chronic medical…

An instrument to measure cultural values and characteristics among reservation American Indians was developed and administered with the Health Risk Appraisal to a random sample of 429 Cheyenne River Sioux. Women were significantly healthier and had fewer health risk behaviors than men. Traditional cultural values were positively related to good…

Analyzes the results of administering the Chronic Self-Destructiveness Scale to 80 non-delinquent male high-school students and 101 delinquent males. Findings indicate that self destructiveness in both groups is related to alcohol use and other related risky behaviors. Suggests juvenile-delinquency intervention strategies. (MKA)

Compares differences in the bereavement process for 30 survivors of suicide versus 30 survivors of car accidents. Indicates suicide survivors were more depressed than accident survivors at the first measure but not at the second measure. Survivors of suicide experienced greater feelings of shame and had experienced more life events after the death…

Describes a study of sources of alcohol and drug information among Israeli urban adolescents in the north of Israel in 1993. Data were obtained form 1,346 students (50.9% male, 49.1% female) who indicated the amount of information they had received from 10 sources about 8 categories of drugs. Implications for prevention are discussed. (Author/KW)

Investigates treatment outcomes for all admissions to an adolescent chemical dependency program over a 10-month period. Interviews with parents of patients were conducted. The effect of various pretreatment and treatment factors on outcomes were investigated. Better treatment outcome was associated with older adolescents, greater participation in…

Reviews data collected by the Oxford Monitoring System for Attempted Suicide in teenagers between 1985-1995 to determine trends in acts of deliberate self-harm. Notes substantial increase in number of episodes of deliberate self-harm for both males and females. Discusses implications for hospital and counseling professionals and well as…

Substance use disorders affect not only the identified client but significant others as well. This article contrasts the enabling and codependency constructs, reviews empirical studies of enabling, and offers a conceptualization of partner responses to addiction that could enhance future research efforts and clinical applications in this area. (BF)

Purpose: To date, studies pertaining to possible links between body modification and risk-taking behaviours have been conducted mainly among targeted groups. The objective of this study is to examine the influence of a number of risk-taking behaviours on the probability of being pierced or tattooed among a general adolescent population. Methods:…

The proliferation of students with psychiatric disabilities and the severity of the issues they present pose significant challenges to campus personnel and specifically to student affairs staff. This study identified the specific types of critical incidents related to students with psychiatric disorders that senior student affairs officers found…

Background: Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of CBCL, TRF, and YSR were understudied. This study aimed at examining their test-retest reliability and criterion validity. Methods: Three Chinese community and clinic samples were recruited in Hong Kong. The parents, teachers, and youths respectively completed the CBCL, TRF, and YSR.…

People with mental retardation, autism, and related developmental disabilities who self-injure are treated with a wide array of behavioral techniques and psychotropic medications. Despite numerous reports documenting short-term and some long-term changes in self-injury associated with the opiate antagonist naltrexone hydrochloride, no quantitative…

Analogue functional analysis methodology was used to assess potential maintaining contingencies of episodic self-injurious behavior (SIB) of a 4-year-old child diagnosed with autism. Analogue conditions were presented within a multielement design when the child did, and did not exhibit signs of a possible sinus infection, and when the participant,…

This paper presents a detailed theoretical discussion of destructive narcissism in relation to Freud and Rosenfeld and later theorists. In destructive narcissism, the destructiveness is itself idealised and overrides "the vital functions which serve the purpose of self-preservation" (Freud, S., 1914, "On narcissism" S.E. 14: 87)--a feature which…

Individuals with eating disorders, especially those with anorexia nervosa, have the potential to experience significant harm and even death as a result of behaviors related to their condition. Because of this risk, the authors argue that there is a duty to protect (i.e., an obligation to take some action when a person is engaging or considering…