Parental alcoholism can be a major source of stress for children. It is unclear, however, to what extent and in what way parental alcoholism produces psychopathology in children and adolescents. We reviewed studies about children of alcoholic parents published between 1975 and 1985 to clarify the relation between parental alcoholism and child psychopathology. We identified methodological problems in this body of literature and organized substantive findings around eight areas of outcome: (a) hyperactivity and conduct disorder; (b) substance abuse, delinquency, and truancy; (c) cognitive functioning; (d) social inadequacy; (e) somatic problems; (f) anxiety and depressive symptoms; (g) physical abuse; and (h) dysfunctional family interactions. The literature as a whole supported the contention that parental alcoholism is associated with a heightened incidence of child symptoms of psychopathology, in comparison with no increased incidence in offspring of nondisturbed parents. However, neither all nor a major portion of the population of children from alcoholic homes are inevitably doomed to childhood psychological disorder. We discuss the pattern of findings in the light of issues of causality, child resiliency, and potential qualifying factors, such as variations in family disruption, and we offer recommendations regarding methodological improvements, possible mediating variables, and a multiple-risk conceptualization.
The effects of three group treatment formats on 20 men with secondary erectile dysfunction and their partners were contrasted. After a comprehensive medical and psychological screening, each couple was assigned to one of three treatment groups (Communication Technique Training, Sexual Technique Training, Combination Treatment) or to one of two control groups (Attention-Placebo, No-Treatment). Couples in the three treatment groups and the attention-placebo group participated in their respective formats in twice-weekly sessions for a total of 20 hours. The no-treatment control group received sex education and treatment after a 5-week waiting list period. All three treatment groups fostered substantial gains so that between-format differences were not statistically significant. Subject variables which predicted success/experience ratio gains included age of the male partner, perceived level of relationship adjustment, and the male partner's success/experience ratio prior to treatment. Eighty-one percent of the treated men reached the criterion of 80% or greater success/experience ratio (successful penetration and subsequent ejaculation) at the 6-month follow-up. Good nocturnal tumescence prior to treatment was correlated with a better treatment outcome than poor tumescence.
Through a collaboration with a public school in a poor, urban, largely Latino neighborhood, a multisystemic program was designed to foster positive youth development and promote school success. Aspects of the program highlighted include (a) the rationale; (b) interventions developed with and for youth, their parents, and their teachers; (c) the process of incorporating cultural issues into the program; and (d) evaluation strategies. Recommendations for future program development are provided along with general ideas for program evaluation.
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