Theoretical models used to guide NIDA's cooperative agreement research and intervention efforts. National Institute on Drug Abuse.

NIDA's Cooperative Agreement program to reach out-of-treatment drug users and provide HIV prevention to reduce HIV drug and sexual risks was initiated in September of 1990. By August, 1994 the program included 23 sites which used various theoretical models to guide prevention strategies, add conceptual coherence to many aspects of behavior change, and allow for clearer interpretation of why behavior change occurs. This article reviews the theoretical models used at each of the NIDA Cooperative Agreement sites, the perceived helpfulness of the models, and recommendations for future initiatives.

Psychological effects of Hurricane Andrew on an elementary school population.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the prevalence and progression of posttraumatic symptomatology (PTS), using emotional and behavioral indices of psychopathology in school-age children in the pathway of Hurricane Andrew (HI-IMPACT) and in a comparison group north of Miami (LO-IMPACT). METHOD: Pynoos' Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index and Achenbach's Teacher's Report Form (TRF) were administered 8 weeks and 32 weeks after the hurricane. In addition, 21 measures of disruptive behavior cataloged by Dade County Public Schools were aggregated and compared by grading period between pre- and posthurricane school years. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the two schools in PTS at 8 weeks after the hurricane, although the children in the HI-IMPACT school were more likely to have severe PTS. TRF findings at 8 weeks revealed that children in the HI-IMPACT school evidenced lower means on the eight TRF scales and on the broader Internalizing and Externalizing measures. Analysis of the disruptive behavior revealed a drop in the marking period immediately after the hurricane in the HI-IMPACT area, but an opposite effect was observed in the LO-IMPACT area. CONCLUSIONS: After the hurricane there was an initial increase in PTS and a concomitant decrease in other measures of behavior and psychopathology. PTS remained relatively high throughout the school year, but there was a rebound and subsequent normalization of the measures of disruptive behavior.

Young boys who commit serious sexual offenses: demographics, psychometrics, and phenomenology.

This study reports on a population of early adolescent male sexual offenders 9 to 14 years of age compared with a clinic control group matched for age, sex, ethnic status, and the presence of a DSM-III-R conduct disorder. The sex offenders were found to exhibit a significant history of nonsexual antisocial behavior, physical and sexual abuse, and psychiatric comorbidity. The two groups did not differ in number and category of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses, the number of nonsexual aggressive and nonaggressive symptoms of conduct disorder, symptoms of major depressive disorder or dysthymia, and symptoms of anxiety disorders. The EGTC group demonstrated significantly lower mathematic achievement. There is evidence that sexual offending behavior in this population is one aspect of a pattern of antisocial behavior. Sixty-five percent of the index group had a history of early sexual victimization.