This monograph presents a comprehensive, community-based framework to support individuals, agencies, and communities in efforts to improve the well-being of children and youth. The monograph, with accompanying executive summary, features five childhood needs and describes promising strategies for meeting those needs. Chapter 1 of the monograph…

This guide, designed to help girls learn more about themselves and what they want from life, presents self-esteem exercises and coping skills. It opens with questions about self-discovery and what is important to them. Some examples of voicing one's opinion and making good decisions are also offered. Recognizing and dealing with different feelings…

This study explores the association between levels of depression, perceptions of mastery, social support, and parenting beliefs of mothers enrolled in an Early Head Start program, and how these relations differ for adolescent and adult mothers. The results reveal that contrary to previous research, adolescent and adult mothers did not differ on…

The mentoring of youth by adults has been identified as one of the more promising program approaches to promoting positive youth outcomes. This synthesis examines the role that mentoring plays in helping youth develop a broad array of strengths and capacities related to: (1) education and cognitive attainment; (2) health and safety; (3) social and…

Rural communities are often plagued with socioeconomic challenges that contribute to family vulnerability and developmental challenges. Family Development Programs is a course that provides learning experiences related to rural community issues and family interactions with an opportunity to review programs that are provided within the region.…

This report presents both a framework for understanding positive factors that contribute to the healthy development of young people, termed "developmental assets," and a portrait of 6th-to-12th-grade youth based on that framework. The report analyzes and interprets data from 99,462 youth in 213 communities collected during the 1996-97 school year.…

Studied instruments which measure well-being, life satisfaction, and morale, for structural stability across age and gender in two samples of adults and older adults. Analysis showed four factors that defined dimensions underlying these measures which were constant across age and gender. (WAS)

Studied the stability of happiness for rural, urban, and institutionalized Canadian older adults (N=600). For urban and institutionalized persons housing satisfaction was the main predictor; for rural individuals, health and marital status remained consistent predictors. Results showed that although predictors differ, happiness remains stable in…

Discusses how a holistic and wellness philosophy is a viable alternative in the treatment of alcoholism. Describes five major dimensions of high-level wellness: nutritional awareness, physical fitness, stress management, environmental sensitivity, and self-responsibility. (RC)

Outlines the method, findings, and philosophical approach taken in a 22-month evaluation of an Employee Assistance Program. The program offered free counseling sessions, telephone support, in-service training, and conciliation work. Using an integrated pluralist evaluation, found that clients reported high satisfaction. Reduced absenteeism…

Examined how spousal behaviors related to global and daily marital satisfaction. Eighty-two couples completed daily checklists of spousal behaviors for seven days using an individualized or a standardized assessment method. Daily behavioral event measures were significantly related to global and daily measures of marital satisfaction,…

An expanding literature reveals that personality traits and psychological resources (PRs) are important in human well-being. This article reviews the literature regarding four PRs (positive thoughts, hardiness, generalized self-efficacy, and optimism), discusses the relationships among PRs and between PRs and personality characteristics, and…

Investigated the association between married mothers' (n=1,502) employment and their reports of marital conflict and marital happiness in continuously married families with children and in mother-stepfather families. Found significant difference between types of families. Discusses findings and calls for additional research. (RB)

Analyzed the relationship between elements of child welfare and an index of social well-being in Minnesota counties. Found that all except two rural counties and only two urban counties had negative social well-being scores. Counties with low social well-being scores tended to have larger numbers of child welfare recipients. Findings suggest that…

A model for creating a healthy and safe camp environment is based on modeling good health and safety practices by camp staff, creating a pattern of forethought and proactive behaviors that incorporates safety management into every activity, and fostering collective caring and shared responsibility for health and safety among members of the camp…