Compared substance use and problem behavior of students who participated in "I'm Special" Program (ISP) in fourth grade and of non-participants during later school years. Found proportion of current substance users and incidence of related problem behavior were significantly lower among ISP graduates, especially in grades five through seven. ISP…

To clarify methodological differences, five studies with cluster analysis solutions of 183 Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) profiles of male heroin addicts were critically reviewed. The methodologies used were replicated. A solution using complete linkage with Pearson correlation and recommendations for future cluster analysis…

This article presents an experimental community-based prevention planning model which was established to solicit involvement of adults and youth from high risk communities in an effort to prevent substance abuse through provision of positive outreach activities. The model's components, methodology, and preliminary findings are described. (IAH)

Adolescent psychiatric inpatients (48 with a history of sexual abuse and 48 without) were studied to probe the relationship between sexual abuse and substance abuse. Abuse group subjects indicated more regular and frequent use of addictive substances. (Author/PB)

Explored the employment of master's degree level counselors in substance abuse centers (N=435) and examined the direct care services and administrative duties they perform. Findings suggest that a high percentage of mental health counselors are employed in substance abuse centers and that mental health counselors function as individual, group,…

Reviews verbal and physical abuse that threatens well-being and physical survival of lesbian, gay male, and bisexual youths. Notes that this response to gay male, lesbian, and bisexual adolescents by significant others in their environment is often associated with several problematic outcomes, including school-related problems, running away,…

Reviews prevention concepts from counseling and college health literature, emphasizing perspectives to help health providers, identifying central elements of preventive programs and intervention formats, and examining how interventions are assembled into coherent programs. An initiative addressing primary, secondary, and tertiary substance use…

Presents Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines that summarize school-based strategies most likely to be effective in preventing tobacco use among youth. The guidelines recommend that all schools develop and enforce a policy, provide instruction on tobacco use consequences, provide prevention education, train teachers, involve families,…

Reports on the results of a training curriculum presented to 150 school personnel from 9 states. On the basis of participants' ratings, five areas were identified as key training areas for future school-community-university substance abuse prevention initiatives. Federal and state funds may assist higher education institutes in developing…

Heavy-drinking college students tend to overestimate the prevalence of heavy drinking among their peers. Twenty-six heavy-drinking students participated in a survey study of drinking. They were randomized to receive or not receive, by return mail, personal feedback of their drinking compared to population norms. Feedback subjects showed greater…

The results of this study support and expand upon previous research indicating that adolescent drug and alcohol use is greatly affected by family factors: adolescents who abstain from drug and alcohol use and abuse come from families who are qualitatively different from the families of adolescents who use and abuse substances. (Author/LKS)

Presents a conceptual model of violence for social work that addresses the diverse manifestations of violence, its multilevel nature, and its structural foundation. Examples related to poverty and drug abuse demonstrate the model's usefulness for social work education and practice. (JPS)

This longitudinal 1-year study examined the continuity of temperamental difficulty in a school-based sample of 975 middle adolescents. Data suggest that continuity and level of temperamental difficulty are linearly related to ratings of psychosocial functioning in several domains. Gender differences are also discussed. (SLD)

Recovery from any addiction requires a lifestyle change. Leisure counseling can help recovering persons substitute rewarding leisure activities for addictive behaviors. (SK)

Natural Helpers program encourages prosocial peer support for coping with problems as early intervention and prevention strategy for reducing adolescent substance abuse. Examined relationship between wanting help with self-esteem and other adolescent problems, including substance abuse, as measured through Natural Helpers needs assessment process.…