Parental report is a better indicator of obesity than teen report of weight status, but parental and teen reports are both poor predictors of adolescent obesity. Using BMI based on self-reported height and weight correctly classified 96% as to obesity status. Thus, studies can use self-reported height and weight to understand teen obesity and its correlates/sequelae.

No abstract

Gender differences in depressed mood, a syndrome of mixed anxiety-depression, and an analogue of major depressive disorder were compared in parents' and adolescents' reports in 2 large, demographically matched national samples of clinically referred and nonreferred adolescents. Referral status accounted for the greatest share of the variance in these problems. Gender differences were moderate in size and consistent in referred youths, with referred girls scoring higher than referred boys on all measures, whereas gender differences in nonreferred adolescents were either nonsignificant or small in magnitude. Gender differences were also larger in magnitude in adolescents' self-reports than in parents' reports. The interaction of age and gender was nonsignificant in all analyses. Implications for understanding the extent of gender differences in adolescents' depressive symptoms are highlighted. The rates of internalizing problems, most notably symptoms of depression, are higher among adolescent girls than boys (Nolen-Hoeksema & Girgus, 1994). Adolescence is assumed to be the developmental period in which these differences emerge and intensify, creating a pattern which continues with gender differences in depressive symptoms and disorder in adulthood (Leadbeater, Blatt, & Quinlan, 1995). What is less clear, however, is the magnitude and pervasiveness of these differences during adolescence; that is, how large are the effects of gender on depressive symptoms in adolescence? Are gender differences characteristic of the general population, or are they limited to a subgroup of youths, such as those who may be referred for or receive mental health services? The answers to these questions are meaningful for several reasons. First, it is important to document the extensiveness of gender differences in depressive problems to determine their role in overall models of adolescent development. If boys and girls in the general population differ in symptoms of depression, then this difference may represent a pervasive feature of normative adolescent development. Alternatively, if gender differences in these symptoms are limited to clinically referred youths, they may reflect processes that characterize only a subgroup of highrisk adolescents. Gender differences limited to only high-risk

Paradoxically, the robust growth of a psychology of adolescence has been accompanied by a decline in the overall well-being and health status of adoles cents. Although morbidity rates for most other age groups have declined in recent decades, adolescent morbidity has increased (Hamburg 1992). The chal lenges faced by today's youth are reflected in a host of problems, including adolescent suicide (Garland & Zigler 1993), depression (Petersen et al1993), violence and death due to violence (Earls et al 1993, Hammond & Yung 1993), unplanned pregnancy (Brooks-Gunn & Paikoff 1993), substance abuse (Leventhal & Keeshan 1993), and sexually transmitted diseases (Brooks-Gunn & Paikoff 1993). Further evidence that problems of adolescence are on the rise comes from longitudinal research indicating that rates of emotional and behav ioral problems of adolescents (and children) have increased over the past ten years (Achenbach & Howell 1993). This review highlights recent developments in theory and research methods and summarizes exemplary research findings that contribute to our under standing of psychological development during the second decade of life. We begin by identifying three important themes in research and theory on adoles cence: (a) the emergence of broad integrative models of adolescent develop ment that include psychological, biological, social, and contextual factors; (b) the identification of developmental pathways or trajectories during adoles cence that are linked to prior growth during childhood and subsequent adult

The rationale for the development of effective programs for parents with serious mental illness and their children is compelling. Using qualitative methods and a grounded theory approach with data obtained in site visits, seven existing programs for parents with mental illness and their children in the United States are described and compared across core components: target population, theory and assumptions, funding, community and agency contexts, essential services and intervention strategies, moderators, and outcomes. The diversity across programs is strongly complemented by shared characteristics, the identification of which provides the foundation for future testing and the development of an evidence base. Challenges in program implementation and sustainability are identified. Qualitative methods are useful, particularly when studying existing programs, in taking steps toward building the evidence base for effective programs for parents with serious mental illness and their children.