Food safety knowledge and practices of young adults.

The objective of the study described in this article was to ascertain the food safety knowledge and practices of undergraduate students attending a major American university. The study participants were undergraduate college students (mean age 18.9 +/- 1.14 SD) enrolled in a required health course. The students were invited to take a validated food safety knowledge questionnaire as part of a health risk behavior online survey. The 786 respondents indicated their food is most often prepared at on-campus dining facilities and the majority of the students (72%) felt they were "unlikely or "very unlikely" at risk of foodborne disease. The mean food safety knowledge score of the participants was 10.23 (43%) +/- 4.13 SD (25%-60%), indicating the study population overall has poor knowledge of safe food practices. As a result, food safety educational initiatives and awareness campaigns should be developed to better inform young adults about safe food handling practices and habits.

Conducting filial therapy with homeless parents.

Homelessness and the associated feelings of loss are highly distressing for parents and their children who experience them. The implications for young, homeless children are clinically significant, as these children tend to display higher rates of depressive, anxious feelings. The literature suggests that parents are especially challenged during a period of homelessness, as they cannot provide for their children financially or emotionally. Evidence-based mental health interventions, such as filial therapy, may assist the parent-child relationship by promoting healing during a highly distressing event such as homelessness. Filial therapy, derived from child-centered play therapy, teaches parents to play with their children to express feelings and gain mastery over difficult and often disturbing thoughts and emotions. This article's purpose is to (a) educate clinicians about the psychological complexities of homelessness with parents and their children and (b) highlight the benefits of using filial therapy as an evidence-based intervention with this population.