In this study, exposure to violence and trauma-related distress in young children were associated with substantial decrements in IQ and reading achievement.

Computer-based brief motivational interventions may be able to reach a high proportion of at-risk individuals and thus have potential for significant population impact. The present studies were conducted to determine the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a computer-based brief motivational intervention (the motivation enhancement system, or MES). In Study 1, quantitative and qualitative feedback from 30 postpartum women and 17 women in treatment for drug use were used to modify the software. In Study 2, 50 urban postpartum women who reported drug use in the month before pregnancy completed the intervention and provided repeated within-session ratings of state motivation. In Study 3, 30 women were randomly assigned to intervention or control conditions with 1-month follow-up. Overall, women rated the MES as highly acceptable and easy to use and reported significant increases in state motivation at postintervention and at 1-month follow-up (d = .49). These preliminary results are encouraging and suggest that further work in this area is warranted.

A brief version of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAP) was developed using a development sample of N = 1,470, and cross-validated using an additional sample of N = 713. Items were selected to maximize (a) CAP variance accounted for; (b) prediction of future child protective services reports; (c) item invariance across gender, age, and ethnicity; (d) factor stability; and (e) readability and acceptability. On cross-validation, scores from the resulting 24-item risk scale demonstrated an internal consistency estimate of .89, a stable 7-factor structure, and substantial correlations with the CAP Abuse Risk score (r = .96). The CAP risk cutoff was predicted with 93% sensitivity and 93% specificity (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve = .98), and the Brief Child Abuse Potential Inventory (BCAP) and CAP demonstrated similar patterns of external correlates. The BCAP may be useful as a time-efficient screener for abuse risk.

Objectives-This pragmatic randomized trial evaluated the effectiveness of a tailored educational intervention on oral health behaviors and new untreated carious lesions in low-income African-American children in Detroit, Michigan.Methods-Participating families were recruited in a longitudinal study of the determinants of dental caries in 1,021 randomly selected children (0-5 years) and their caregivers. The families were examined at baseline in 2002-04 (Wave I), 2004-05 (Wave II) and 2007 (Wave III). Prior to Wave II, the families were randomized into two educational groups. An interviewer trained in applying motivational interviewing principles (MI) reviewed the dental exam findings with caregivers assigned to the intervention group (MI+DVD) and engaged the caregiver in a dialogue on the importance of and potential actions for improving the child's oral health. The interviewer and caregiver watched a special 15-minute DVD developed specifically for this project based on data collected at Wave I and focused on how the caregivers can "keep their children free from tooth decay". After the MI session the caregivers developed their own preventive goals. Some families in this group chose not to develop goals and were offered the project-developed goals. The goals, if defined, were printed on glossy paper that included the child's photograph. Families in the second group (DVD-only) were met by an interviewer, shown the DVD, and provided with the project's recommended goals. Both groups of families received a copy of the DVD. Families in the MI+DVD group received booster calls within 6 months of the intervention. Both caregivers and the children were interviewed and examined after approximately 2 years (Wave III: 2007).Results-After 6-month of follow-up, caregivers receiving MI+DVD were more likely to report checking the child for "pre-cavities" and making sure the child brushes at bedtime. Evaluation of the final outcomes approximately 2 years later found that caregivers receiving the MI+DVD were still more likely to report making sure the child brushed at bedtime, yet were no more likely to make sure the child brushed twice per day. Despite differences in one of the reported behaviors, children whose caregivers received the motivational intervention did not have fewer new untreated lesions at the final evaluation.Conclusions-This study found that a single motivational interviewing intervention may change some reported oral health behaviors, it failed to reduce the number of new untreated carious lesions.

Further development and study of computer-delivered screening and intervention for alcohol use during pregnancy are warranted.