Ethnic differences in the first occurrence of fertilityrelated events are assessed for non-Hispanic White and Mexican American female adolescents. A community-based sample of 1,023 females ages 13 to 19 years was interviewed in 1984-85; 874 (85.4 percent) were reinterviewed approximately two years later. Mexicoborn Mexican Americans have the lowest rate of early sexual intercourse, but the highest rate of early births because they are most likely to become pregnant if sexually active, and most likely to have a birth if pregnant. Non-Hispanic Whites have the highest rate of

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A comparative study of Hispanic and white adolescent mothers in California indicates that the persons most supportive of them were their mothers and their husbands or boy friends. It also shows differences in support networks of Hispanic mothers who speak English and those who speak Spanish.

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The sources of systematic sample attrition are examined for a community-based panel survey of 1,023 Mexican American and non-Hispanic white female adolescents, 874 (85.4%) of whom were reinterviewed after two years. There were few differences between Mexican Americans born in the United States and non-Hispanic whites, but Mexican Americans born in Mexico were distinctively different. The characteristics of the original interview shape the respondent's concurrent attitude toward repeating the experience but do not affect directly subsequent behavior. The results demonstrate that the validity of panel data may be problematic even when indicators of the survey content do not appear to be associated directly with loss to follow-up. Attrition exerted a greater impact upon the external than internal validity of the panel data.Longitudinal studies usually provide a more valid basis than crosssectional studies for interpreting observed associations within a causal framework. Sample attrition or loss to follow-up, however, constitutes a serious threat to the internal and external validity of panel studies (Sussman, 1964).

Research has shown that social networks can act as social support systems to promote mental health and buffer psychological stress. In this selective review the authors illuminate patterns and characteristics of social networks that maintain health and help prevent illness, explore the relationship between social networks and the course and outcome of treatment for mental illness, and describe clinical network interventions that have been used to facilitate inpatient care and maximize performance of ex-patients in the community. The authors also discuss the implications of research findings for mental health practice.