[EFFEKT-E: Effectiveness of a Prevention Programme for Children and their Depressed Mothers]. / EFFEKT-E: Wirksamkeit eines Präventionsprogramms für Kinder emotional belasteter Mütter.

The aim of this study was to develop an effective selective preventive programme for the risk group of children of depressed mothers. A universal parent and child training concept was adapted to the target group and to mother-child rehabilitation clinic conditions. A quasi-experimental design was implemented with 13 clinics. Evaluation of the results reveals that EFFEKT-E is an accepted, feasible selective programme which has the potential to enhance maternal competence and prevent children's emotional disruption.

Different patterns of boys' externalizing behavior and their relation to risk factors: a longitudinal study of preschool children.

Childrens' externalizing behaviors such as aggression, delinquency and impulsivity are serious problems in many societies. In previous person-oriented analyses we found two types of externalizing problems in boys. One pattern contained externalizing problems only, whereas the other type showed both externalizing and internalizing problems (anxiety, depression etc.). The present study addressed these two groups in a prospective longitudinal design. It was investigated whether the previous descriptive findings remained stable over time and, in particular, whether the two types differed in important risk factors for antisocial behavior. The sample consisted of 198 boys from the Erlangen-Nuremberg Development and Prevention Study. The first assessment took place in kindergarten and the second 3.4 years later in elementary school. The behavior problems were assessed by ratings of kindergarten teachers and elementary school teachers using the Social Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ). The risk factors were low socio-economic status of the family, birth complications, physical punishment in parenting behavior, difficult temperament, low intelligence, and aggression-prone social information processing of the child. Approximately 15% of the boys revealed externalizing behavior problems. A variable-oriented analysis showed significant stability over time. In a person-oriented Configural Frequency Analysis the 'externalizing only' and the 'combined externalizing and internalizing' pattern could be replicated. For five of the six risk factors we found significant differences between the boys with behavior problems and a non-deviant group. However, the two different patterns of externalizing problems differed only in intelligence (lower for the group with combined problems). The results confirm models of cumulative biological, psychological and social risks for antisocial behavior over time. Furthermore, specified analyses of the two types and their relation to proactive and reactive aggression are recommended.

Protective and risk effects of peer relations and social support on antisocial behaviour in adolescents from multi-problem milieus.

This article addresses the relation between antisocial behaviour and social resources in a 2-year longitudinal study of 100 high-risk adolescents in residential care. Problem behaviour was measured with the Externalizing Scale of the Youth Self Report. Social resources were recorded using semi-structured methods. Hierarchical regression analyses showed interactions suggesting that the same variables can fulfil risk as well as protective functions: clique membership and satisfaction with social support fostered behavioural continuity. In contrast, a lack of social embeddedness had a risk effect for well-adapted adolescents and a protective effect for the deviant ones. Social resources were more influential in girls. Theoretical implications and methodological problems are discussed.

[Oral leukoplakia. II. Results of a year-long polyclinical pilot study]. / Orale Leukoplakien. II. Ergebnisse einer 1jährigen poliklinischen Pilotstudie.

A pilot study was carried out on close on 4000 uniformly examined and documented patients of the Erlanger maxillo-facial Policlinic. This resulted in the extensive collection of data useful as a basis for future follow-up studies on leucoplakia patients. Leucoplakia was found in 123 patients (3,1%) including 7 precancerous lesions and 6 mucosal carcinomata. Age and sex distribution of leucoplakia patients and various potential influential factors were statistically compared with a control group of an equal number of outpatients. For each of the factors examined, chronic smoking, chronic alcohol consumption, enoral habits, the connection with the occurrence of leucoplakia was highly significant (alpha less than 0,001).