Rurality has often been equated as to being backwards and non-promising to provide for a bright future. This study aims to identify the levels of self-concept, family concept, and family interaction measures of subjects from the rural and urban social settings of a state in Malaysia. Six hundred and thirty-nine (or two hundred and thirteen…

Noting that a central tenet of the 1996 welfare reform law was that work was the best way to improve the lives of single parents and their children, this fact sheet summarizes research on the impact of parental work on children in families receiving welfare. The fact sheet delineates key research findings from experimental studies of the effects…

Young adolescence is an important and special period of transition on the trail of life. The child-becoming-an-adult needs to talk safely with an adult about the meaning of life and how to live it. This book, which is part journal and part workbook, provides an opening for the young person and the adult to have serious conversations with one…

This introduction and outline correspond to a presentation at the American Counseling Association (ACA) 1999 World Conference. The author recounts his psychotherapeutic work with young gay men diagnosed with AIDS and his increasing awareness of their movement toward psychological health and the development of a deeper spirituality. His quest…

This brief "Kids Count" report explores the impact of and factors that bear on teen pregnancy in Montana and ways to prevent teen pregnancy. Statistics and summaries are provided in the following areas: (1) live births to women under age 20, 1990-95; (2) Montana's unmarried teen births as compared to neighboring states; (3) number of…

This brief Kids Count report looks at major problems, available data, and some solutions for Montana's children as passengers in and drivers of vehicles on Montana's roads and highways. The report also presents information about adults' roles and responsibilities for preventing traffic accidents and protecting children. Facts presented in the…

Although targeted explicitly at changing adult behaviors and outcomes, welfare reform has direct implications for children. This guidebook details the results of the Project on State-Level Child Outcomes, designed to assist states in measuring child outcomes in the context of welfare reform programs. The guidebook is presented in three sections.…

"Engaging Residents to Improve Results for Children and Youth, Families and Communities" is a "Toolkit" that is the product of an international working group composed of delegates from six participating nations--Chile, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. In 2002, the working group set out…

Nearly 30 years ago, leading child psychologist Michael E. Lamb reminded us that fathers are the "forgotten contributors to child development." Since then, much work has been done to explore the ways fathers uniquely contribute to the healthy development of their children. Scholars now know that boys and girls who grow up with an…

If health educators refuse to face the issue of death caused by war, hunger, and other man-made catastrophies, they may be unable to act to improve the quality of life. Local programs which encourage social well-being and resources which deal with peace on the global level are discussed. (PP)

Reviews research on the effects of educational programs on the subjective well-being of older adults. Describes the constructs of happiness, morale, and life satisfaction by specifying their location on temporal, cognitive, and affective dimensions. Recommends outcome measures and research designs for assessing and upgrading educational…

Studied the relationship of well-being to involvement in multiple roles for 134 Caucasian women who were married and mothers; 50 were also paid workers. Two indices of well-being were used, self-esteem and satisfaction with one's current role pattern. No differences in level of well-being were found. (Author/JAC)

Investigated mental health vulnerability and predictors of mental health among older persons living in a semirural area. Findings indicated that social resources and social integration, along with health and functional status, and adequate financial resources are important predictors of mental health and well-being in advanced years of life.…

Examined factors related to satisfactory postdivorce social adjustment of 206 randomly selected single parents. Found the strongest single predictor of adjustment was the parent's subjective feelings of well-being and absence of distress. Other significant factors included the family's current social status and relationships with significant…

A significant amount of variation in life satisfaction beyond the demographic variables was found when 205 elderly persons were tested. Two life satisfaction measures were employed and compared. Results supported the use of a single-item inventory and suggested that satisfaction with time use contributes to life satisfaction. (Author/RC)