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Biomedical subjects

N Long

Publications and source records attributed to N Long.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Child abduction. Parent and child functioning following return.

The functioning of 17 children who had been abducted by one parent but subsequently returned was examined. The parent to whom the child was returned completed a behavior rating scale on the child for each of three time periods: pre-abduction, immediately post-abduction, and follow-up (the present time). The parents also completed a measure regarding the coping strategy they utilized while the child was missing and a measure of their own functioning at each of three times: pre-abduction, during the abduction, and follow-up. The results indicated that the child was rated as functioning worse immediately post-abduction than at pre-abduction and at follow-up was functioning between that reported at pre-abduction and post-abduction. However, the level of maladjustment was not in the severe range at any of the assessments. Parents reported using a problem-focused or action style of coping. Parents also reported that their psychological functioning decreased during abduction and then improved at follow-up. Again, functioning was not in the severe range at any assessment. Variables such as age at the time of abduction and length of abduction were only minimumally related to parent or child functioning.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1988

Parent-completed and adolescent-completed CDIs: relationship to adolescent social and cognitive functioning.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of both young adolescents' scores on the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and their mothers' ratings of the adolescents' depression (parent-completed CDI) to indices of their social and cognitive functioning obtained from a source outside the home. Subjects consisted of a nonclinic sample of 85 young adolescents (11-15 years of age), their mothers, and their social studies teachers. Recent school grades and teacher-completed measures served as the indices of adolescent social and cognitive competence. The results indicated that both adolescents' and mothers' CDI scores were significantly and negatively correlated with measures of adolescent cognitive and social functioning. Multiple regression analyses, utilizing adolescent- and parent-completed CDI scores as predictors, indicated that both predictor variables entered into the equations for cognitive functioning while only the mother-completed CDI entered into those for social functioning. When maternal depression was also entered into the multiple regressions, the findings regarding mother- and adolescent-completed CDI scores were not altered. The relationship of these findings to other somewhat disparate findings concerning the utility of mother and child reports of child depression is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Training social skills to severely mentally retarded multiply handicapped adolescents.

Three severely mentally retarded, multiply handicapped, adolescents were treated in a classroom setting for social skills deficits. Two of these children exhibited symptoms of autism including periods of echolalia, and fascination with tactile and visual stimulation. One of the pair was deaf. The third child was profoundly mentally retarded and had minimal expressive language skills. All had received sign language training to facilitate communication. Treatment focused on increasing the frequency of eye contact, in seat and response to verbal prompt behaviors, skills deemed necessary to facilitate use of sign language communication and to increase social interaction. Baseline and treatment were evaluated in a multiple baseline, alternating treatment design across children. Baseline was taken on responses to 10 standard questions, asked by the teacher, based on verbal presentation and sign language. This same procedure was then continued during the initial treatment phase following training sessions. During training, the children received social reinforcement, performance feedback and edible reinforcement, in the form of candy, for appropriate performance. Physical and verbal prompts as well as pictorial cues were employed to shape appropriate behavior. In the second treatment phase, training was implemented in the classroom in which baseline data had been collected. Improvement in target behaviors, via training sessions held four days a week, was noted. These data suggest that use of a combination of visual stimuli, operant and social learning methods can remediate social skills deficits in children with multiple psychological and physical deficits. The implications of these findings for current and future research are discussed.

Achievement↗
PubMed1987

Self-perceived and independently observed competence of young adolescents as a function of parental marital conflict and recent divorce.

The self-perceived and independently observed cognitive and social competence of young adolescents as a function of parental conflict and recent divorce was investigated. Subjects were 40 young adolescents between the ages of 11 years 1 month and 15 years 1 month. A 2 X 2 factorial design was used, with the independent variables being parental marital status (married vs. recently divorced) and parental conflict (high vs. low). Dependent variables included the following measures of adolescent competence: adolescent-completed measures of self-perceived competence, teacher-completed measures, behavioral observations, and school grades. The results indicated that the level of parental conflict, rather than parental marital status, appears to be the critical variable associated with adolescents' independently observed levels of cognitive and social competence. In regard to adolescents' self-perceived levels of cognitive and social competence, parental marital status was found to be the critical variable. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Achievement↗
PubMed1987

Family characteristics of adolescents who display overt and covert behavior problems.

The purpose of the present study was to examine and compare the families of young adolescents who demonstrated overt behavior problems, overt and covert behavior problems (i.e. versatile adolescents), and neither type of problem. From 176 nonclinic adolescents, a sample of 23 was selected based upon a teacher-completed measure. Interparental conflict, parental marital status, and mother-adolescent conflict were examined. The results indicated that families with a versatile adolescent were characterized by divorce as well as more interparental and mother-adolescent conflict than the other two groups. Assessment of and intervention for school-identified adolescents may need to include a focus on interparental conflict and parent-adolescent conflict.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

The effects of parental divorce and parental conflict on children: an overview.

Pediatricians and other primary care professionals are frequently called upon to offer their advice concerning the psychosocial problems that families confront. Currently, one area that appears to be of great concern to parents is the effect that parental divorce has on children. However, giving advice in this area is difficult as parental divorce does not have the same effect on all children. Researchers are now beginning to identify and study numerous factors that appear to play a critical role in mediating child adjustment following parental divorce. Understanding these mediating factors will likely prove crucial when addressing questions pertaining to parental divorce. Several investigators believe that one of the most important of these mediating factors is parental conflict. This article reviews the research addressing the relationship between parental divorce, parental conflict, and child adjustment.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1986

Home predictors of young adolescents' school behavior and academic performance.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relation between home variables and young adolescents' school behavior/performance. 46 mother-father-adolescent triads (ages 11.5 years to 14.9 years) served as participants. Home factors included the adolescents' relation with each parent as well as a measure of each parent's personal adjustment and perception of conflict in the marriage. School measures consisted of grades and a teacher-completed assessment of internalizing and externalizing problems demonstrated by the adolescent. The results indicated that externalizing problems were related to the mother's depression level, the adolescent's relationship with the mother, and the adolescent's relationship with the father. The first 2 variables (maternal depression and mother-adolescent relation) entered into a multiple regression equation with sex of adolescent and accounted for 35% of the variance in externalizing problems. The relationship with the father was related to school grades and, in a multiple regression, combined with birth order of the adolescent to account for 15% of the variance. The results were discussed in terms of the importance of considering not only the mother-child relationship when examining cross-setting influences in the school but also the mother's personal adjustment and the father's relationship with the child.

Achievement↗
PubMed1983

Maintenance of nutritional competence after gastric partitioning for morbid obesity.

Can normal nutritional status, as indicated by albumin, transferrin and lean body mass values, be maintained during a 100 lb weight loss after gastric partitioning? Fifteen morbidly obese patients with normal nutritional status were fed three diets before (diet A) and after (diets B and C) gastric partitioning, and changes in albumin, transferrin, and lean body mass were monitored. Diets A and C were compositionally equal and contained 40 to 60 g of protein and 600 to 900 calories administered in six to eight equally divided portions per day. Diet B contained 20 to 40 g of protein and 600 to 800 calories per day and was given through a gastrostomy tube for three months after surgery while oral input was limited to noncaloric liquids. Results showed that weight loss was more rapid before surgery with diet A, than after surgery with diet B or C (diet A versus diet B, p less than 0.05; diet A versus diet C, p less than 0.05). Lean body mass was maintained with each diet, but transferrin (p less than 0.01) and albumin (p less than 0.05) decreased while patients were fed diet B. When gastrostomy tube feedings were discontinued, diet C restored albumin and transferrin to preoperative values (diet C versus diet B, p less than 0.05, diet C versus diet A, p greater than 0.1). Total postoperative weight loss averaged 106 +/- 20 lb after 2 years. These data show that in carefully selected patients with morbid obesity who demonstrate compliance to diet A before surgery, a 100 lb weight loss may be achieved while nutritional competence is maintained.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Bibliotherapy as an adjunct to stimulant medication in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The effectiveness of bibliotherapy as an adjunct to stimulant medication in the treatment of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder was investigated. Subjects were randomly assigned to the experimental group, or the control group. Parents in the experimental group received a written protocol (bibliotherapy) outlining behavioral techniques for managing oppositional child behavior. Results indicated significant differences favoring the experimental group on standardized measures of the intensity of behavior problems in the home, parental knowledge of behavioral principles, and teacher ratings of behavior. This bibliotherapy approach appears to offer an inexpensive adjunct to stimulant medication in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder when individual or group behavior management training is not feasible.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗