Findings are discussed in the context of the value of longitudinal designs in identifying risk factors. Dissatisfaction with one's figure seems to be consistently related to worsening eating pathology.

The experiences and effects of harassment were examined in correctional officers (129 male and 60 female) from one state and three county medium-security facilities. Survey results indicate that women reported significantly more harassment (70%) than did men (44%) (p < .001), and women were less likely to depersonalize (p < .05). Separate multiple regressions were performed for each gender on burnout, organizational commitment, and perceived stress. Harassment significantly contributed to each regression for females, whereas harassment was significant only in the male regression for perceived stress. Although men and women did not differ on burnout or organizational commitment, harassment was a pervasive contributor to these measures for women. It appears that in correctional settings, harassment forms a background stressor differentially affecting women.

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A s the number of studies of burnout and its potential contributors increases, the need to establish the relative importance of these contributing factors becomes more apparent. Our first goal in this study was to examine the relationship between burnout and environmental factors within a design that permits a comparison of the relative importance of several environmental factors. A second goal was to examine the role of moderator variables in the burnout-environment correlations. Moderator variables are those that influence the relationship between two other variables. For example, if there were a significant correlation between years of employment and salary for male employees but not for female employees, then sex would be a moderator variable for the relationship between years of employment and salary.

The authors assessed eating behaviors and attitudes of 225 college freshman women on the bulimia and restraint scales at the beginning of the year. Seven months later, they reassessed 104 of the original students. Concurrent data regression analyses found that symptoms of eating pathology were associated with figure dissatisfaction, ineffectiveness, public self-consciousness, and vigor on the Profile of Mood States, and for bulimia, self-efficacy to control eating when experiencing negative feelings, and reward conditions. Both bulimia and restraint were highly stable across the 7 months. Prospective analyses, controlling for the initial level of eating pathology in hierarchical regressions, found that figure dissatisfaction, ineffectiveness, and alcohol use/abuse over the past year were significant predictors of worsening symptoms. Beginning levels of bulimia and restraint were the best predictors of eating pathology at the end of the study. The roles that self-image and alcohol use may play as vulnerabilities for eating pathology are also considered.

An increased focus on burnout by helping professionals has produced research and theory involving the development of this reaction. This article reviews research and theoretical findings involving environmental and individual factors causing burnout among helping professionals. Suggestions to avoid burnout include: (a) development and application of stress reduction techniques; (b) awareness of environmental factors and use of time-outs and social supports; (c) development of self-evaluation and goal setting skills; (d) training in detached concern;(e) attributional training in explaining therapeutic success and failure; (f) clarification of expectations and beliefs about counseling.

Self-concept and attributions made about academic successes and failures were compared in 46 students with learning disabilities and 47 normally achieving students (mean age = 12.0 years). Results from the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (Piers, 1984) suggested that lower overall self-concepts in the students with learning disabilities (p < .01) were primarily due to differences in self-concepts regarding intellectual and school status (p < .001). Attributions regarding internal versus external causes for successes and failures and stable (ability) versus unstable (effort) causes for failures did not differentiate the groups. Self-concept, particularly school related self-concept, was correlated with ability/effort attributions. Subjects with lower self-concepts were more likely to attribute failures to ability. Both the self-concept and attribution data have implications for academic and motivational interventions.

Therapeutic relationship as perceived by clients (N = 54) and therapists (N = 8) At a community mental health clinic was rated on Lorr's (1965) five main factors: Understanding, Accepting, Accepting, Critical, Independence-Encouraging, and Authoritarian (directive). These perceptions were correlated with client and therapist ratings of improvement. In addition, discrepancies between client and therapist ratings of the relationship were correlated with outcome measures. Findings indicated that client perceptions of therapists as Understanding and Accepting were correlated most highly with self-reported improvement. Therapists self-perception of Independence-Encouraging was correlated most highly with client-rated improvement, while therapists' self-perception of Accepting and Understanding was correlated most highly with therapist-rated improvement. Differences between client and therapist ratings of the Understanding and Accepting qualities of the therapeutic relationship showed the highest negative correlations with both client and therapist improvement ratings. Implications for therapeutic and research strategies are discussed.