Described the development of the Mental Health Inventory, a measure of psychological distress and well-being, which was fielded in four large samples having different characteristics (N=5,089). Results provided strong psychometric support for a hierarchical model and scoring options ranging from five distinct constructs to reliance on one summary…

Reviews research on the vulnerability of the elderly to consumer fraud. Patterns of consumption, situational characteristics, education and product knowledge, psychological losses, social isolation, and psychosocial transitions influence the elderly's vulnerability and ability to cope with consumer abuse. Higher educational attainment and greater…

This "Pocket Guide" is derived from the "2004 KIDS COUNT Special Report: City & Rural KIDSCOUNT Data Book." It is designed to give state-level policymakers a better understanding of conditions faced by families in their rural communities and how they compare to those in the rural parts of other states, as well as the country as a whole. This…

Public schools have come under enormous pressure in recent years to demonstrate academic gains and to address deeply rooted disparities among students of different races, ethnic groups, and income levels. Clearly, boosting academic achievement should be a top priority. Less evident, however, is the long-term effect of supporting this goal by…

There is growing acknowledgement that optimal early childhood development is crucial not only for health, well-being, and competence but also for society at large. This second paper in a series focuses on the period from birth to age 6 and draws on research from Canada and other countries to address several questions of children's development,…

This essay proposes that stress has been misused in traditional adventure education and presents a new model of risk taking based on the literature on stress and feminist perspectives in adventure education. Proponents of the traditional adventure perspective state that the intentional use of stress is central to the change process in wilderness…

Although it has been assumed that increasing maternal education or family income will improve children's well-being, considering the impact on child care arrangements and home environment raises the possibility of negative effects. This paper reviews experimental evaluations of seven programs designed to enhance welfare families' self-sufficiency,…

In its seventh year of evaluating children's services, the Children's Program Outcome Review Team (CPORT), under the direction of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, continued to collect and analyze data to improve service delivery to children and families involved in state custody. The CPORT evaluation for 2000 collected and organized…

Well-measured and consistently collected indicators of child and family well-being can be used for a variety of purposes. Indicators may be used for five purposes: (1) describing the circumstances of America's children; (2) monitoring outcomes; (3) setting goals; (4) providing outcomes-based accountability; and (5) evaluating programs. To meet the…

In its sixth year of evaluating children's services, the Children's Program Outcome Review Team (C-PORT), under the direction of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, continued to collect and analyze data to improve implementation of service delivery to 11,800 children and families involved in state custody. The C-PORT evaluation for…

This article highlights the untended mental health needs of children across the United States. Citing troubling mental health statistics, the author suggests creating a community culture that does not stigmatize or ignore mental health problems, specifically by making prevention and treatment the rule. One of the potential stumbling blocks…

This report describes early childhood care and education (ECCE) and other family support policies and programs in seven southeast Asian countries: Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The report draws primarily on background country reports prepared by officials in these countries to focus on the context in…

The family's socioeconomic status and the social-psychological aspects of family functioning were found to influence children's physical well-being both directly as well as indirectly through access to good medical care. Quality of psychotherapeutic care had no effect on psychological well being, which was affected by family living conditions.…

Compared 31 divorced and 28 remarried mothers to study differences in their sense of competence and well-being. Results showed remarried mothers had a higher sense of competence and satisfaction in the areas of love, community, and homemaking. Differences in income were significant. (JAC)

Describes autogenic feedback training, which provides the basis whereby an individual is able to improve on well being through use of a technique described as "body fortran," implying that you program self as one programs a computer. Necessary requisites are described including relaxation training and the management of stress. (JAC)