Explores how gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth are integrated into society. The sexual minority youth of today have greater opportunities for development and acceptance than older gays and lesbians had, however, gay youth are still at high risk for confusion, societal pressure, and feelings of self-destruction and isolation. (EMS)

Compares the course of change of two groups of conduct-disoriented adolescents in two theoretically distinct residential treatment programs. Despite an overall trend toward improvement in both groups, there was little significant difference between the rates of progress over time. Supports the need for qualitative research focusing on the…

Assesses sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of official police suicide rates and compares them to those of municipal workers. Official police suicide rates had less sensitivity (83.3% compared to 92.3%) of actual suicides than municipal worker rates. Police suicide rates also showed a lower negative proportion than municipal worker…

Autistic disorder is characterized by qualitative impairment in the areas of social interaction and communication, as well as stereotypic, repetitive patterns of behavior. In addition to the core features of autism, many individuals display a range of behavioral concerns including anxiety, aggression, agitation, overactivity, self-injury, and…

Self-mutilation is not a new trend or phenomenon in adolescents. Self-mutilation can be divided into three categories: major, stereotypic, and moderate/superficial. Moderate/superficial self-mutilation is the most common type in adolescents and includes cutting, burning, and carving. School nurses are positioned to identify, to assist, and to…

Reducing therapeutic restraint is a desirable outcome for programs that serve individuals who exhibit challenging behaviors. This study investigated the effects of modifying the criterion for release from therapeutic restraint on frequency and duration. Release from restraint was changed from a behavior-contingent criterion (restraint terminated…

Objectification theory proposes that the objectification of women's bodies causes women to self-objectify, adopting an outsider's view of themselves. Engaging in a high amount of self-objectification is thought to place women at increased risk for mental health problems such as body dissatisfaction and depression. It was hypothesized that…

This case study examines a 16.5-year-old male adolescent who engages in fire setting, severe aggression and self injurious and impulsive behaviors. He was treated with Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT) for four months and his problem behaviors have been reduced significantly. He was previously treated with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). It…

This article explores ethical considerations that school counselors may need to address when providing counseling services to self-injurious students. Ethical issues related to student confidentiality, responsibilities to parents and to the school, and professional competence are discussed in relation to the American School Counselor Association's…

Adults with predominantly severe and profound mental retardation (N = 180) who lived in a developmental center were assessed with the Behavior Problems Inventory and the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II. Individuals with self-injurious, stereotyped, or aggressive/destructive behavior had generally higher psychopathology scores…

Prader-Willi syndrome is a multisystem neurogenetic obesity disorder with behavioral manifestations, including hyperphagia, compulsive behavior, self-injury, and mild to moderate mental retardation. In an 8-week open-label study, we evaluated adjunctive therapy with the anticonvulsant topiramate in 8 adults with Prader-Willi syndrome. Appetite was…

Background: Embedded instruction and discrete-trial training are both recommended for teaching children with autism, but there is little research available comparing the two. The present study compared embedded instruction with discrete-trial training for a 12-year-old boy with autism. Method: An initial functional analysis indicated that the…

Objective: To ascertain the association between pubertal stage and deliberate self-harm. Method: Cross-sectional survey of 12- to 15-year-olds in 300 secondary schools in the U.S. state of Washington in February-April 2002 and the Australian state of Victoria in June-August 2002. A total of 3,332 students in grades 7 and 9 provided complete data…

The most devastating effects of teenage pregnancy are felt among African Americans because of the disproportionate number of adolescent unmarried females in this community who get pregnant and give birth each year. Aspects of this problem are discussed as they relate to the African-American community. Historical antecedents of the problem are…

The A.A. 12 steps have long been associated with effective helping, both in terms of recovery from chemical addiction and increasing mental health. Historically there has also been a philosophical division between A.A. oriented substance abuse counselors and the rest of the helping professionals. The purpose of this article is to suggest and…