Utilization of the Brief Symptom inventory to discriminate between violent and nonviolent male relationship partners.

This study reports on the use of the Brief Symptom Inventory, a shortened version of the Symptom Check List-90-Revised, to measure psychopathological symptoms that predict male domestic violence. A sample of 152 men and their partners reported on the severity of violent behavior present in their relationship. Discriminant analysis indicated variation in men's violent status as a function of psychopathological symptoms. Violent men evidenced higher scores on 7 of the 9 subscales of the Brief Symptom Inventory, namely, Depression, Anxiety, Hostility, Phobia, Paranoid Ideation, Interpersonal Sensitivity, and Psychoticism.

The consequences of adolescent parenthood on men's depression, parental satisfaction, and fertility in adulthood.

PIP: This study examines some social and emotional consequences of fathering a child during adolescence in the US. Data are obtained from the 1987/88 US National Survey of Families and Households among 13,017 individuals aged 19 years and older and under age 19 if currently married. This study's sample included only men who reported fathering a child before their 30th birthday and were aged 18-40 years at the time of the interview. There were 227 men who fathered a child before the age of 20 years (Fathered as Teen--FAT) and 1032 men who fathered a child between their 20th and 30th birthday (Fathered as Adult--FAA). Outcome measures include depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D) and parental satisfaction. Control variables are race, age, number of children, and socioeconomic status. Fertility is a control and a dependent variable. The FAT group had a smaller percentage of marriages, a greater percentage of never married, and a greater percentage of second and third marriages. 32% of the FAT group and only 17% of the FAA group were Blacks. 57% of the FAT group and 72% of the FAA were Whites. The evidence from multiple regression analysis using ordinary least squares techniques supports the hypothesis that adolescent fathers, like adolescent mothers, experience similar long-term outcomes of greater depression and fertility compared to men who become parents "on-time" during their 20s. Limitations to the study are the lack of control for the degree of contact with first-born children, educational status, and standardized measures with group norms. The authors furthermore caution that the study sample may not be representative of men who fathered as adolescents and does not consider mediating factors such as social supports during adulthood. However, the finding that adolescent men and women are more subject to depression regardless of socioeconomic status, race, fertility, or age warrants appropriate intervention strategies.^ieng

Depressive symptomatology among rural youth: a test of the circumplex model.

This study assessed the utility of the circumplex model in predicting depression among 108 rural youth. Only cohesion was linearly related to depression, but the r of -.23 may underestimate the association if the variables are not linearly related.

Components of men's well-being at mid-life.

This study was designed to examine the correlates of psychological well-being for 75 middle-aged professional men. Based on sex-role convergence and role adjustment theories, three sets of predictor variables (i.e., interpersonal family factors, role adjustment, and extrafamilial interpersonal factors) were hierarchically entered into a multiple regression equation. The well-being outcome was found to be influenced by interpersonal family factors. The role adjustment and extrafamilial interpersonal factors did not account for a significant increase in variance. The best univariate predictors of men's well-being at midlife were perceived closeness to child, perceived closeness to wife, adjustment to the husband role, and number of close friends.

Mediators of depression among low-income, adolescent mothers of infants: A longitudinal perspective.

The purpose of this study was to identify, using a life events perspective, Stressors and resources that mediate depression for adolescent mothers at the time of the birth of their child and at one year postpartum. The data for this study consisted of interviews with 157 low-income adolescent mothers age 12-18 at the birth of their child. They were selected from a larger prospective study of mothers of infants and stress. Multiple regression analyses revealed two key results that were consistent for the data obtained at birth and at one year postpartum. Predictors of depressive symptomatology and of a clinical syndrome of depression were similar. Also, Stressors generally were more important as mediators of depression than resources.

Differentiation of girls at risk of early pregnancy from the general population of adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to examine two psychological characteristics (locus of control and purpose in life) that have been associated with early pregnancy. The characteristics were examined first in samples drawn from a general population of adolescents and then in samples of ever-pregnant and never-pregnant adolescents. Ever-pregnant girls differed neither from the general population of adolescents nor from the matched sample of never-pregnant girls on the two psychological dimensions. Alternatives for conceptualizing risk are proposed.

Factors related to the treatment success of drug addicts enrolled in a residential rehabilitation facility.

Twenty-one young adult drug addicts stipulated to a residential treatment center and judged to have successfully completed the center's therapeutic program were compared with another group from the same center who had failed to successfully complete the program. The two groups were matched as closely as possible on sex, race, age at admission, and marital status, and they were compared, using a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), on the dimensions of family instability, criminal record, severity of drug use, prior treatment, educational level, self concept, and family self concept. Analysis revealed that two groups significantly differed as a function of the dependent measures, with educational level and prior treatment accounting for most of the difference.

Intrapsychic symptom dimensions of adolescent suicide attempters.

The research literature on adolescent suicide is unclear as to whether psychopathology underlies the suicide attempt. A group of 46 adolescent suicide attempters were compared with a group of 46 adolescent nonattempters to determine whether suicidal adolescents differed from this comparison group in characteristics of psychopathology. The findings indicated that the attempters exceeded nonattempters on 8 of 11 measures of psychopathology. Such findings suggest that adolescent suicide attempters emit clear signs of psychological distress that can be detected by physicians treating this population.

The role of drugs in adolescent suicide attempts.

Drug histories of 46 adolescent suicide attempters and their parents are described. In addition, these attempters and their parents are compared with a group of non-attempters and their parents on selected measures of drug use. Findings indicate that adolescent drug use is closely related to and perhaps symptomatic of suicidal behaviors and overall pathology. The relationship between adolescent suicidal behaviors and parental drug use is unclear because of the discrepancy between parent-adolescent responses.

Adolescent suicide. A comparison of attempters and nonattempters in an emergency room population.

Forty-six adolescent suicide attempters and their parents were compared with 46 adolescent nonattempters and their parents using various measures of family conflict, family cohesion, and parenteral maladaptive behavior. Data analysis indicated several significant differences between these two family groups in these dependent measures of family functioning, suggesting that the family milieu plays an important role in the etiology of adolescent suicidal behavior.

Adolescent discipline: Different family members' perception.

Adolescence is perhaps the most difficult period of child rearing for parents. This study attempted to identify disciplinary techniques used by parents as perceived by mothers, fathers, and their adolescent children. Results indicated several significant areas of intrafamilial disagreement in regard to disciplinary techniques utilized, although all subjects tended to agree that some form of verbal reasoning was the primary disciplinary technique utilized with these adolescents.

Adolescent suicide and the classroom teacher.

Adolescent suicide is a phenomenon of epidemic proportions, constituting the third leading cause of death in this age group. Various theories of suicide are reviewed and the attention to family variables discussed. These theoretical models indicate the multidisciplinary nature of the problem - that is, that adolescent suicide requires a medical, psychological, social and educational approach to the problem. Since school plays a major role in the lives of adolescents, it offers an avenue of approach to adolescent suicide. A list of behavioral changes indicative of emotional distress is provided for teachers for use in identification and referral. Teachers should also serve an educational function. Discussion of suicide dispels myths and modifies the likelihood of an attempt. Several suggestions concerning how school personnel may intervene are provided.