Profile of adolescent suicide attempters admitted in an emergency unit

Emergency Units frequently assist suicide attempts. It is important to study this phenomenon in adolescence, since this is a conflict period. This study aimed to outline an epidemiological profile of adolescents admitted in an Emergency Unit, who were diagnosed as suicide attempters. Thus, we examined the records of adolescents admitted at this Unit as suicide attempters in 2002. The results revealed that 77.8% of the cases are characterized as follows: female, predominant age range between 15 and 19 years old, single, white, student, living in neighborhoods with low purchasing power, taking medication during the day. Our findings were similar to those described in other studies and thus require special attention.     

Inhalant abuse as an adolescent drug problem: An overview

The inhalation of the vapors of chemical substances for the purpose of achieving an intoxicated state is currently quite popular within the adolescent population. However, this form of substance abuse often receives less attention than more well-known drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol. This paper is intended to be an introduction to the topic of inhalant abuse, including prevalence rates, the types of substances typically abused, their effects on the body, methods of inhalation, symptoms associated with this practice, the risks involved, and finally, the question of physical and psychological addiction.     

Studentschool bonding and adolescent problem behavior

Adolescent problem behavior, including substance use, schoolmisconduct and delinquency, is a national concern. Implicitin the concept of middle school is the recognition that studentswho develop positive social bonds with their school are morelikely to perform well academically, and refrain from misconductand other antisocial behavior. However, little scientific attentionhas been given to the complex interactions between middle schoolstudents and the school environment. Prior to implementing amiddle school problem behavior prevention program we conducteda survey in the seven middle schools in one US school district.Out of 4668 grade 6–8 students enrolled, 4263 (91.3%)completed the survey. Student–school bonding was positivelycorrelated with school adjustment (r = 0.49) and perceived schoolclimate (r = 0.77), but inversely correlated with problem behavior(r = –0.39 to –0.43). Problem behavior was significantlyhigher (P < 0.001) among males than females and among studentsin higher grades. Conversely, school bonding, climate and adjustmentwere significantly higher (P < 0.001) among females thanmales, but declined significantly from one grade to the next.The data support the conclusion that school bonding is associatedwith problem behavior. We describe the development of a multiple-componentintervention in middle schools designed to increase student–schoolbonding and prevent problem behavior.     

Rehabilitation of a heavy drinker.

Alcohol abuse within the workforce is now a widely recognised problem. Brenda Coldwell describes how cooperation between management, trade unionists and the OH department of a large company helped resolve an employee's destructive drink problem.     

The breakdown of meaning and adolescent problem behavior

This paper attempts to account for the upsurge of adolescents' problem behavior in high-income countries in terms of Lifton's paradigm of symbolic immortality. Whilst most of the works dealing with this subject focus on the level of the individual adolescent and his or her surrounding, Lifton shows that societal processes can affect the individual. Drawing upon his approach, it was argued that desymbolization,--the collapse of society's symbols system--produces "divided selves," individuals who harbor an 'aggressor-victim double' in their psyche, wherein an internal conflict between the aggressor and the victim engenders self-destructive impulses. In this study it is hypothesized that problem behaviors are external manifestations of underlying self-destructiveness. Thirty-four Jewish-Israeli adolescents involved in sexual promiscuity, drug abuse, anorexia nervosa, and violence were interviewed. It was found that despite individual and social dissimilarities, and the different problem behaviors, the participants were marked by inner-directed destructiveness as well as a sense of meaninglessness of life and lack of symbolic relationship to what transcends their here-and-now selves. Significantly, violent adolescents whose aggression is other-directed were found to be marked by underlying self-directed aggression as well. If the findings of this study are representative of Israeli society at large or of other affluent societies, then the epidemic proportions of youth problem behavior may indicate that these societies are undergoing desymbolization, a psychocultural breakdown.     

Profile of an abortion counselor

The definition of who an abortion counselor is and what their training should be is very unclear. In 1973, 350 questionnaires were sent to 60 institutions in the San Francisco Bay Area that provided health care to women with the purpose of clarifying the definition of an abortion counselor. From this study emerged a profile of 100 people in the San Francisco Bay Area who are currently delivering family planning and abortion counseling services. The results are on the basis of 110 completed questionnaires from planned parenthood centers, abortion clinics, and family planning clinics. Results showed that 1) the counselors were similar to their clients in that they, too, were sexually active and of childbearing age, and 1/5 of them had had abortio ns themselves which was a factor in motivating them to enter the field of abortion counseling in the first place; 2) there was a wide variation in the educational and experiential backgrounds of the counselors; 3) 1/3 of the respondents were volunteers; and 4) 47% had completed a training course by Planned Parenthood/World Population. Initial training as well as on the job training was considered to be important by the counselors. During the day, they were occupied were interviewing, group and individual counseling, telephone counseling, and clerical work. They mostly dealt with their patients on a personal, informal level. Counselors complained of crowded conditions, lack of sufficient personnel, and poor follow-up. The author concludes that there is yet to be a definition of who an abortion counselor is, and asserts that if quality care is to be provided, established standards and quality training is needed.     

Hematospermia in an adolescent

Hematospermia is an infrequent condition in adolescence. This report presents a case of hematospermia in an 15-year-old male adolescent. A relationship is postulated between hematospermia and some vascular phenomena accompanying the pubertal reproductive development.     

Profile of an allied health dean

This study sought to gather baseline data about allied health deans in academic health centers in the US, their backgrounds, career patterns, role characteristics, and perceptions of professional development. The study also examined relationships that existed between a profile of allied health deans established in this study and other selected career variables. Allied health deans in 63 academic health centers were surveyed using a 55-item, self-administered questionnaire, "Today's Allied Health Deans." The results revealed that the characteristics of allied health deans did not depart significantly from those of other academic deans. All deans had fairly uniform experiences in their roles as academic officers across the country. A review of their career patterns showed that they departed slightly from the traditional career ladder models established for other academic deans.     

Plummer-Vinson syndrome in an adolescent

We report an 18-year-old female found to have Plummer-Vinson syndrome on routine health evaluation. The nature of this condition, its relation to iron deficiency, and its potential for malignancy are discussed.     

父母教养方式对青少年问题行为及性别差异影响

目的 了解父母教养方式对青少年问题行为及性别差异的影响。方法 采用随机整群抽样方法,于2007年9月-2008年4月,在北京市18个区随机抽取1387名青少年进行一般情况、父母教养方式、问题行为的问卷调查。结果 男生问题行为水平为(13.29±11.39)分,明显高于女生的(11.86±9.91)分,差异有统计学意义(t=2.92,P<0.01);父母教养方式的4个维度得分依次为母亲温暖(25.12±5.91)分、母亲监管(23.37±6.65)分、父亲温暖(25.37±4.91)分、父亲监管(22.33±6.54)分,均高于男生的(23.86±6.11)、(22.30±6.78)、(23.53±5.40)、(20.81±6.50)分,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.01);问题行为与父母教养方式中的母亲温暖(r=-0.27,P<0.01)、母亲监管(r=-0.31,P<0.01)、父亲温暖(r=-0.28,P<0.01)、父亲监管(r=-0.30,P<0.01)4个维度均呈明显负相关;性别在父母教养方式与问题行为之间无调节作用(P>0.05)。结论 男生应该得到与女生同样的父母关注和关心,以减少问题行为的发生。