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Effects of sheltered care environments and resident characteristics on the development of social networks.

Two hundred and thirty-four members of a 1973 sample of sheltered care residents, three-fourths of whom had schizophrenic disorders, were followed up between 1983 and 1985 to examine the role of supportive and of transitional, high-expectation sheltered care environments in the development of residents' social networks. The influences of revolving-door treatment experiences, psychopathology, and institutionalization were taken into account. The results showed that supportive rather than transitional, high-expectation environments contributed to the development of emotionally and instrumentally supportive social networks. Higher levels of psychopathology and a history of institutionalization resulted in the absence of certain support relationships. Surprisingly, revolving-door treatment experiences were related to positive support and social network outcomes.

Adult↗

Developing geriatric social work competencies for field education.

Preparing social workers to effectively practice with the growing older population requires the identification of geriatric competencies for the profession. The John A. Hartford Geriatric Social Work Initiative provided the impetus and direction for a national strategy to improve the quality of preparation of geriatric social workers. The Geriatric Social Work Practicum Partnership Program (PPP) is the project with the Hartford Initiative that emphasizes field education. The Geriatric Social Work Education Consortium (GSWEC), one of the PPP programs, initiated the development of competencies for work with older adults. GSWEC utilized Geriatric Social Work White Papers and the pioneering work of the Council on Social Work Education's (CSWE) Strengthening Aging and Gerontology Education for Social Work's (SAGE-SW) comprehensive competency list as well as conducted focus groups locally to delineate key competencies for field education. The Coordinating Center for the PPP, located at the New York Academy of Medicine, led in collaboratively developing knowledge based skill competencies for geriatric social work across all 6 demonstration sites (11 universities). The competencies adopted across sites include skills in the following five major domains: values and ethics; assessment (individuals and families, aging services, programs and policies); practice and interventions (theory and knowledge in practice, individual and family, aging services, programs and practice) interdisciplinary collaboration; and evaluation and research. The identified competencies have proven effective in evaluating students (n = 190) pre- and post PPP field education. The implications for further development of competency driven education for geriatric social work are discussed.

Aged↗

Prevention of adolescent substance abuse through social skill development.

The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate the capability of social skills training approaches for preventing adolescent substance abuse and to suggest directions for future research in this area. Social skills and training are defined from the perspective of social learning theory. Training approaches are then reviewed for their effect on drug use and drug use-related behaviors. The results indicate that social skills training reduces substance use and related behaviors such as aggression, withdrawal, truancy, and stealing in adolescents. Outcome was enhanced by the inclusion of modeling in a training program and the use of normal (versus problem or disordered) adolescents. In addition, discriminant analyses indicated that the more positive outcomes were discriminable by a focus on prevention, experimental rigor, and training comprehensiveness, that is, inclusion of multiple techniques and skills. Follow-up results showed that training effects were maintained, and that they could be generalized to several areas of everyday adolescent functioning. The findings suggest that social skills training is an effective means for substance abuse prevention in adolescents, and that it may have an advantage over more direct prevention methods in terms of long-term generalization capabilities. Finally, several issues are raised for their potential impact on social skills training as a strategy for substance abuse prevention in adolescents. These issues encompass conceptual, methodological, and evaluative domains: development of a taxonomy of person-situation specificity characteristics to increase the validity and reliability of assessment and training procedures; assessment of the relative contribution of individual differences in adolescents to training outcome; identification of qualitative developmental shifts in social skills as adolescents progress through grade, school, and family transitions; and comparison of the maintenance and generalization effects, over time, of social skills training with more direct abuse prevention methods. Guidelines are offered for addressing these issues, as well as directions for the role of social skills training research in future drug abuse prevention efforts.

Adolescent↗

Social skills development in children with autism spectrum disorders: a review of the intervention research.

Social reciprocity deficits are a core feature of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This review summarizes the state of research in group-based social skills training programs for school-age children and adolescents with ASD. All published studies of group social skills interventions between 1985 and 2006 were reviewed, as well as dissertations examining group-based social skills intervention programs. To assess the state of the science, a template developed by an NIMH work group was applied to 14 identified studies. Based on this review, the empirical support for this approach is incomplete, but promising intervention strategies were identified. Recommendations for the design of future treatment trials to guide clinical practice are offered.

Adolescent↗

Pregnancy outcomes among women with polycystic ovary syndrome treated with metformin.

BACKGROUND: We sought to determine whether metformin, which had facilitated conception in 72 oligoamenorrhoeic women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), would safely reduce the rate of first trimester spontaneous abortion (SAB) and increase the number of live births without teratogenicity. METHODS: Seventy-two oligoamenorrheic women with PCOS conceived on metformin (2.55 g/day). They were prospectively assessed in an outpatient clinical research centre. Outcome measures included number of first trimester SAB, live births, normal ongoing pregnancies >or=13 weeks, gestational diabetes (GD), congenital defects (CD), birthweight and height, as well as weight, height, and motor and social development during the first 6 months of life. RESULTS: Of the 84 fetuses, to date there have been 63 normal live births without CD (75%), 14 first trimester SAB (17%), and seven ongoing pregnancies >or=13 weeks with normal sonograms without CD (8%). Previously, without metformin, 40 of the 72 women had 100 pregnancies (100 fetuses) with 34 (34%) live births and 62 (62%) first trimester SAB. In current pregnancies on metformin in these 40 women (46 pregnancies, 47 fetuses), there have been 33 live births (70%), two pregnancies ongoing >/=13 weeks (4%), and 12 SAB (26%) (P < 0.0001). There was no maternal lactic acidosis, and no maternal or neonatal hypoglycaemia. Fasting entry serum insulin was a significant explanatory variable for total (previous and current) first trimester SAB, odds ratio 1.32 (for each 5 micro U/ml rise in insulin), 95% CI 1.09-1.60 (P = 0.005). On metformin, GD developed in 4% of pregnancies versus 26% of previous pregnancies without metformin, P = 0.025. There have been no major CD in the 63 live births or CD by sonography in the seven fetuses <or=13 weeks. In the 63 live births, neither weight nor height differed from the normal neonatal population. At 6 month follow-up, height was greater (P = 0.008) and weight did not differ from the normal paediatric population; motor and social development were normal. CONCLUSIONS: Metformin therapy during pregnancy in women with PCOS was safely associated with reduction in SAB and in GD, was not teratogenic, and did not adversely affect birthweight or height, or height, weight, and motor and social development at 3 and 6 months of life.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Developing a social perspective in mental health services in primary care.

The influence of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) on the reorganisation of UK health and social care provision is already considerable. As well as challenging institutionalised processes of care, PCTs are encouraging innovation. This article reflects on a service pioneered by a small group of mental health social workers, which has been reconfigured within a new PCT, illuminated by examples of direct therapeutic work and service user feedback. In the new service, the practical application of a social perspective in mental health provision is demonstrated by eligibility criteria based on social context as well as psychological adversity. Possible developments arising from the prospective, multidisciplinary team membership and interface with secondary care are anticipated.

Adult↗

[Social urban development and poverty control as health promotion].

The Salomon Neumann Medal of the German Society for Social Medicine and Prevention bears the inscription. "Medicine is a Social Science". This provocative statement is most topical. It compels us to actively promote health by healthier living and environmental conditions apart from medical prevention. A core of this sphere of action is the reduction of social inequalities. Several recent congresses and publications have clearly shown that this subject remains one of the biggest challenges facing health promotion. German law has set the signs for reducing socially rooted inequalities for chances of health. This article postulates the thesis that health promotion can find allies for a healthy public policy in programmes planning for healthy urban development and for combatting poverty. The specific approaches for combatting social inequalities in the health sphere are reported and examples are given how such a health promotion policy may be translated into reality on a communal level. Finally, spotlight is on the dilemma of combatting inequality of chance due to differences in social status.

Germany↗

Assessment of young children's social-emotional development and psychopathology: recent advances and recommendations for practice.

In this paper we have tried to document some of the recent advances in the conceptualization and assessment of early-emerging social-emotional and behavior problems, competencies, and psychopathology. Considerable evidence documents that young children evidence significant psychopathology (cf., Del Carmen & Carter, in press; Emde, 1999; Zeanah, 2001; Zeanah et al., 1997). Given the range of new assessment measures that have become available over the past 10 years, the field of young child mental health is poised for dramatic gains in knowledge. It is critical to conduct large-scale, longitudinal, epidemiological studies to inform our understanding of the course of psychopathological conditions within the context of a normative developmental framework. Multi-method, multi-informant assessment approaches are more essential in early childhood due to young children's inability to provide self-reports and the embedded nature of children's development in their caregiving contexts. Screening large representative samples affords the opportunity to ascertain unbiased clinically informative sub-samples for methodologically intensive sub-studies. These sub-studies can address the child's cognitive and linguistic developmental capacities as well as utilize observational methods to examine the relational context. This approach provides an opportunity to merge dimensional and diagnostic assessments and will yield critical information for disentangling continuities and discontinuities in normative and atypical development. The assessment methodology currently exists to routinely screen very young children for social-emotional and behavior problems as well as delays in the acquisition of competencies in pediatric settings as well as in early intervention programs. Yet, despite the likely long-term benefits and cost-saving potential of early identification and intervention services, short-term cost and knowledge barriers currently limit widespread implementation. Discussions with pediatricians suggest that one of the greatest barriers to screening is the limited availability of mental health referral sources. Indeed, very few children who are rated by parents as having elevated social-emotional and behavior problems are receiving any behavioral health services (Horwitz et al., in press). Unmet mental health needs exist among non-referred children in the community as well as among children receiving early intervention services for developmental concerns. Documenting the mental health needs of young children may promote training of professionals who have the competence to treat young children and their families. Moreover, the availability of social-emotional and behavior problem assessment tools should increase studies that focus on the clinical efficacy and effectiveness of prevention and early intervention programs designed to promote positive mental health. Finally, although significant progress is occurring in the arena of young child diagnosis, a strong case can be made for intervening when young children are exhibiting elevations in problem behaviors or delays in the acquisition of competence. This is particularly true when children are also experiencing exposure to multiple contextual risk factors. It is therefore important to advocate for changes to systems that require child diagnosis as a gateway to intervention. As we learn more about the precursors or prodromal manifestations of clinical psychopathology we will be able to examine the efficacy of earlier targeted preventive intervention approaches.

Affect↗

Prediction of preschool social behavior from social-emotional development at one year.

In an attempt to directly investigate later consequences of the early mother-infant relationship, several measures of social-emotional and cognitive-motivational development at 12 months of age were correlated with two measures of preschool adjustment for 26 children. Results indicated that both of our measures of early social functioning were related to more optimal adjustment in a peer-setting at three-and-a-half years of age. Taken together, the results of the study provide empirical support for the widely held, but seldom tested, hypothesis that the quality of the early mother-infant tie has important consequences for the child's subsequent development in most areas.

Attention↗

[Population policy in Thailand].

Population policy may be defined differently by students of demography but it is generally defined as measures aiming at influencing demographic processes--fertility, mortality, and migration--through public and private programs. Population policy may also be classified into different types: direct and indirect policies; population influencing and population responsive policies; explicit and implicit policies; and domestic and international policies. For Thailand, earlier population policies tended to be policies aimed at increasing the size of population through pronatalist and public health measures. However, findings of various studies in the early 1960s indicated that the rate of population growth in Thailand since the end of World War II had been as high as 3% per annum. These had led the government to eventually issue the first national population policy statement "supporting family planning through a voluntary system..." in March 1970. The first 5-year family planning program was included in the health plan of the Third National Economic and Social Development Plan (1972-1976). From the Fourth National Economic and Social Development Plan (1977-1981) onwards, population policies were made more comprehensive to cover all dimensions of population: population growth; quality of population; and population distribution and human settlements. Since population policy is an integral component of overall economic and social policies, conflicts between objectives of sectoral policies have to be minimized as much as possible. Future options of the population policies were briefly discussed.

Asia↗

Lateral specialization and social-verbal development in preschool children.

Forty-two 2 1/2- to 5 1/2-year-old children's social and verbal behaviors were observed during free play in a preschool. A test measuring lateral specialization of verbal function and a standardized psychometric test of verbal ability were also administered. Analysis of variance indicated that the right ear (left hemisphere) is predominant in processing verbal stimuli in children as young as 2 1/2. Multiple regression analyses revealed significant relations between the right ear accuracy score for dichotically presented verbal stimuli and both psychometrically measured verbal ability and a social-verbal factor score derived from play behavior. After the increase related to age was statistically partialled out from both verbal ability and social-verbal scores, verbal expression, length of verbal utterances, time spent in conversation, and peer social interactions increased and parallel play decreased as a function of right ear (left hemisphere) accuracy for verbal stimuli. The relationship between left ear (right hemisphere) accuracy scores for verbal stimuli and social-verbal behavior, however, was not linear. Very high and very low levels of left ear recall predicted an increase in the frequency of parallel play and low social-verbal behavior while moderate levels of left ear accuracy scores predicted the reverse.

Auditory Perception↗

Alcohol exposure during development alters social recognition and social communication in rats.

The present study examined the effects of postnatal alcohol exposure via gastric intubation on social communication of diet preference and social recognition. Rats were placed in one of three treatment groups. All treatments occurred from postnatal day (PD) 2 through 10 and Experiments 1 and 2 were conducted when the rats reached 60 and 100 days of age, respectively. Alcohol-exposed pups received a 3.0 g/kg dose of ethanol in milk solution that was delivered by insertion of PE-10 tubing down the esophagus daily from PD 2 through 10. Intubated control animals underwent intubation without ethanol or milk. Nontreated control pups were weighted daily. In Experiment 1, a nonexperimental rat was initially given access to lab chow mixed with a spice and then housed with an experimental rat for 30 min. The experimental rat was subsequently given access to two diets--one that the nonexperimental rat had consumed and a novel diet. It was found that the alcohol-exposed females consumed a greater percent of the communicated diet than the control females. In Experiment 2, the experimental rats were first exposed to a juvenile for 5 min and then exposed to the same juvenile after a delay of 30 or 90 min. Investigation time was recorded in both sessions and a reduction of investigation time in the second session is an indicator of social recognition memory. Alcohol-exposed rats of both sexes had poorer memory of a juvenile than both control groups after a 90-min delay. Together, these data indicate that basic components of social behavior may be altered by alcohol exposure during development.

Alcohol-Related Disorders↗

Cognitive and social cognitive development of depressed children and adolescents.

Depressed juveniles show evidence of functional impairment in various cognitive and social domains. Actual school performance seems to be more consistently affected by depression than cognitive and intellectual abilities. In addition, depressed youth appear to be less socially adept than nondepressed peers, although depression does not consistently impair social-cognitive abilities. Indications that depressed youth show mild declines in tested verbal performance over time and that residual problems in social functioning persist after symptomatic recovery suggest that major depression may have negative effects on development in childhood.

Adolescent↗

The growing influence of non governmental organisations (NGOs) in international health: challenges and opportunities.

The growing influence of non governmental organizations (NGOs) in international health is occurring in the face of major challenges and opportunities. These challenges include the continued increases in global poverty status, the growing influence of private-funded health systems, the need for sustainability of external-funded programs, and the clamour for community participation in the planning and management of external-funded programs. Opportunities include the near universal recognition of the indispensable roles of NGOs by bilateral institutions and governments, the current emphasis on global trade by developed countries, and the need to develop political and economic systems that are equitable and promote social development. This article is an overview of these challenges and how these challenges can become excellent opportunities for NGOs to improve the health and social development of target communities in developing countries.

Commerce↗

Testicular function, secondary sexual development, and social status in male mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx).

Positive correlations between dominance rank and plasma testosterone levels have been described for adult males of several primate species in captivity, but the relevance of such observations to free-ranging animals is unclear. CIRMF in Gabon maintains a breeding group of 45 mandrills in a six hectare, naturally rainforested enclosure. This study describes correlations between dominance rank (in agonistic encounters), levels of plasma testosterone, testicular volume, body weight, and development of secondary sexual characteristics (red and blue sexual skin on the muzzle and rump areas) in male mandrills under semifree ranging conditions. Two morphological and social variants of adult male mandrill were identified. Large-rumped or fatted adult males (n = 3) remained in the social group and exhibited maximal development of sexual skin coloration as well as large testicular size and highest plasma testosterone levels. By contrast, slimmer-rumped or nonfatted males (n = 3) lived a peripheral or solitary existence and these exhibited less development of their secondary sexual coloration and had smaller testes and lower plasma testosterone levels. Longitudinal studies of gonadal development in these six males revealed that testicular volumes and plasma testosterone levels increased most rapidly during pubertal development (4-5 years of age) in the three animals which proceeded to the fatted condition. These included the highest ranking, group-associated male which exhibited the most intense sexual skin coloration and had higher testosterone levels, although this was not correlated with testicular volume. This study shows that in the male mandrill social factors and reproductive development are interrelated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aggression↗

[Psychologic aspects in perinatal medicine 1980-2000: I. Pregnancy].

OBJECTIVE: A retrospective view of fulfillment of prognosis concerning psychosocial influence on the development of conceptus within the framework of the "Healthy Physical, Mental and Social Development of the New Generation" (11) as a background work for a new project called "Evaluation of the Development, Present State and Conditions to Provide Healthy Physical, Mental and Social Development of the New Generation until 2010" (No. 7346-3). TYPE OF THE STUDY: A retrospective analysis of the period 1980-2000, dealing with psychosocial problems in relation to pregnancy in this country. NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE INSTITUTION: Institute of the Care for Mother and Child, Podolské nábrezí 157, 147 00, Praha 4. CONCLUSION: In the beginning of eighties, the perinatal studies paid for the first time attention to psychosocial risk factors and their close relationship to the biological risk factors. For example, smoking and obesity in women occurred at significantly higher rates in dysfunctional families as well as artificial abortions, perinatal losses etc. In the nineties epidemiological studies in this area were originated. New problem areas, which emerged, concerned mainly pregnant women with HIV/AIDS infection, drug-dependent women and those after artificial fertilization. In addition to medial questions, social and psychological questions had also to be solved. An old and new theme is a psychoprophylactic preparation for delivery, which underwent significant changes, particularly in connection with presence of the father during delivery. Moreover, it should not be neglected to investigate to influence of the methods of examination on the psychical conditions of the pregnant women for their possible negative effects, as in for example the case of examination of amniotic fluid sampled by amniocentesis for genetic indication and a "long" period of waiting for the results. In contrast, other factors may exert a positive effect, as is for example the case with sonographic examination of the conceptus, when the women can observe the conceptus and its movements on the screen.

Abortion, Eugenic↗