Parent and Adolescent Perceptions of Parental Monitoring and Adolescent Risk Involvement

Objective. To compare parent and youth reports of the extent to which parents monitor their adolescents and to determine whether parents' perceptions of parental monitoring are more predictive of adolescent risk behavior. Design. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional sample of 270 parent - adolescent dyads recruited from rural communities in West Virginia. Parents completed a series of written questionnaires, and adolescents (12-16 years) provided information about their involvement in various risk behaviors. Results. Parent perceptions of parental monitoring efforts did not relate to adolescent perceptions of parental monitoring; parents generally perceived themselves to have more information about their adolescents' whereabouts and activities than their adolescents reported. No main effects of age or gender were found in the discrepancies between parent and adolescent monitoring reports. Adolescent reports of monitoring were negatively correlated with adolescent drinking, marijuana use, and sexual activity over the previous 6-month period. Adolescent risk behaviors were predicted by adolescent reports of parental monitoring alone. Conclusions. Parents and adolescents perceive the magnitude of parental monitoring efforts differently even when both parties perceive parents to know much about adolescent activities. Adolescents' perceptions of how much their parents know about their activities are more predictive of their own involvement in risk behaviors than their parents' perceptions about their own monitoring efforts.     

Harm Reduction in MSW Substance Abuse Courses

Professional social work largely has endorsed the empirically supported paradigm of harm reduction in relation to substance abuse issues. Despite literature detailing similarities between social work and harm reduction, little is known about its presence in MSW substance abuse coursework. A purposive sample of 133 social work faculty from accredited MSW programs in the United States provided an exploratory, qualitative web-based survey. Findings indicate harm reduction varies in scope and nature and that faculty relate it to quality of life yet differ on its goals. Some faculty and students hold predisposed negative views toward harm reduction; students' views are influenced by professional and personal experiences yet also become more accepting with exposure. Implications for social work education and subsequent research are discussed.     

青少年吸毒的社会建构及其治理

我国每年登记在册的吸毒人数近年来整体呈现上升趋势,其中青少年吸毒人数的攀升更不容忽视。本文运用“个人是社会的产物而非起源”的视角展现了青少年吸毒同家庭结构与功能不完整、学校教育受损与同辈群体交往异常等因素之间的关联,分析青少年吸毒“心瘾”本质上呈现出麻木的快感、丧失自制、逃避现实等畸形心理特征。总体而言,青少年吸毒是由于其社会化过程中社会整合纽带受损或缺席导致。     

Treatment Alternatives for University Students with Substance Use/Abuse Problems

The authors present the University of Florida treatment program which is the result of cooperative efforts by the Psychological and Vocational Counseling Center and the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center. This program includes outreach programs and a Student Assistance Program as well as individual and group treatment for ACOA and substance abusing students. Illustrative case material is presented. Some general principles drawn from the development of a university based substance abuse counseling program are presented as well. The importance of understanding the social context of a student substance abuse, psychological awareness, and the need for multidisciplinary cooperation in the treatment and prevention of student substance abuse are emphasized.     

The Influence of Afrocentric Spirituality on Counselling Stigma and Help-Seeking Perceptions among Nigerian Americans

This empirical study examined the relations between Afrocentric spirituality and psychological help-seeking attitudes, intentions, and stigma among Nigerian adults living in the United States of America (N = 122). Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Spirituality Scale (Jagers and Smith in Journal of Black Psychology, 22, 429–442, 1996), the Perception of Stigmatization by Others for Seeking Psychological Help Scale (Vogel et al. in Journal of Counseling Psychiatry, 56, 301–308, 2009), the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale (Vogel et al. in Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53, 325–337, 2006), the Intention to Seek Counselling Inventory (Cash et al. in Journal of Counseling Psychology, 6, 111–112, 1975), and the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form (Fischer and Turner in Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1, 79–90, 1970). Results from multiple regression analyses indicated that there was no relation between Afrocentric spirituality and help-seeking attitudes or self-stigma about seeking counselling. However, there was a positive correlation between Afrocentric spirituality and other-perceived stigma, demonstrating that increased Afrocentric spirituality predicted increased perceived stigma from others about seeking counselling services. Contrary to expectations, there was a positive correlation between Afrocentric spirituality and intentions to seek counselling. Implications for counselling practice and theory are presented.     

Using Personal Narratives for Curriculum Development about Substance Abuse and Older Adults

This article reports on a project to sensitize graduate social work students taking courses in substance abuse to the needs of older adults. Graduate social work students at a major urban school of social work in the Northeast were recruited and trained to interview older adults with a history of substance abuse problems regarding their life experiences. The authors developed educational vignettes based on the interviews and curriculum units based on these vignettes to be incorporated into the substance abuse curriculum. The challenges and rewards of engaging students in the process of developing educational vignettes based on older adults lived experiences are also discussed.     

Inherent Problems in Substance Abuse Education on University Campuses:

Substance abuse is a a problem among college student populations. In spite of continued efforts to educate students about the dangers of substance abuse, preventive measures have been met with resistance. Reluctance to respond to these messages may arise from psychological defense mechanisms. However, the unique properties of university life and the student role are seen to contribute more significantly to this resistance. The processes of individuation, emotional development, socialization, and group membership appear to be significantly stabilized by the use of drugs and alcohol. These dimensions of student life are basic maturation processes. Successful campaigns for substance abuse prevention must consider the depth of these issues. Medical education in this area is complicated when these unresolved issues are confronted by the medical student in the classroom and clinical settings. More holistic approaches towards the personal and social dynamics of substance abuse must be developed to promote prevention among college youth. Alternative methods which incorporate these needs are mentioned.     

Inclusion of Substance Abuse Training in CACREP‐Accredited Programs

Professional counselors and counselors‐in‐training continue to serve clients who have substance abuse issues, yet systematic training in substance abuse counseling is not available to many counselors. The authors investigated the extent to which students in programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP; 2001) are exposed to clients presenting with substance abuse issues and the relationship between state licensure or certification in substance abuse and the resulting perception of the need for the inclusion of substance abuse training in these programs. Three methods are presented for possibly including substance abuse training in CACREP standards.     

A Collaborative Substance Abuse Model for Counselors in Training: Knowledge and Practicum Experiences

A school-based substance abuse training model for counselors was sponsored by a federal grant and designed by a counselor education department. The program was successful in training counselors to design and implement prevention and intervention programs in the school setting.     

青少年物质滥用防治的内隐认知研究

物质滥用已日益成为严重的国际性社会问题。青少年时期是滥用物质的危险期,也是滥用物质有可能引发一系列负性结果的初始阶段。如何有效地对青少年物质滥用进行防治是当务之急。近年来,有关物质滥用的外显认知研究受到了挑战,内隐认知开始逐渐引起学者的关注。内隐认知的测量方法源于内隐联想学习的原则,强调对物质使用行为偏好自发激活的认知过程,从而有效地避免了自我矫饰的影响。因而,内隐认知研究为物质滥用防治开启了新的思路,其应用领域包括对物质滥用的预测,改变个体内部的认知结构以促使个体向正性行为转变,以及对干预效果的评估等。     

Substance Abuse Policies in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Survey with Implications for Education of Long-Term Care Providers

The aging of the Baby Boom presents long-term care with many new challenges. Among these are the historically high levels of drug use by this cohort. This study surveyed administrators of licensed skilled nursing facilities in the Commonwealth of Kentucky regarding their perception of current drug use by residents, facility policies and procedures currently in place regarding illicit drug use, and their attitudes toward use of illicit drugs by residents. The results of interviews with 40 administrators or their designees revealed that they have experienced little problem with use or abuse of illegal drugs by residents. Fewer than one-third of the facilities had formal policies in place regarding illegal drug use. Only 10% had any experience with requests for medical marijuana, but almost one in five had a policy on the matter and nearly one-third stated they would support medical marijuana use by some of their residents if the matter arose. These authors recommend the following: (a) that the issue of illicit drug use needs to be addressed now before the situation becomes critical, (b) that administrators and staff need to be educated about recreational drug use and appropriate responses to drug abuse, (c) that screening instruments for drug abuse in this population should be developed and implemented, and (d) that policies regarding medical marijuana need to be adopted by all such facilities.     

Counseling after Dark: Evening Students' Perceptions of Counseling Resources

Abstract

Community colleges have traditionally emphasized the role of educational-vocational counseling for students, although in recent times community college counselors seem to desire more involvement in personal-emotional counseling and to be more therapeutically oriented. This study assessed how evening community college students perceive various professional resource personnel and students' likelihood of consulting these professionals for assistance with diverse kinds of problems. Evening students' perceptions were discussed in comparison to perceptions held by day students and by students attending 4-year colleges and universities. Implications for training and the professional identity of community college counselors were also noted.     

Exploring the Relationship Between Social Interest,Social Bonding,and Collegiate Substance Abuse

Substance abuse continues to be prevalent on college campuses. This study explored the relationships between social interest, social bonding, and hazardous drinking and marijuana use among college students. Results indicate that the social bonding elements of religious commitment, respect for authority, and acceptance of conventional beliefs, along with social interest, significantly differ between groups of students engaged in hazardous drinking and marijuana use.     

Connectedness to Campus and Likelihood of Help-Seeking for Suicidality among College Women

The goal of the present study was to examine the link between connectedness to campus and the likelihood of help-seeking from a mental health professional/school counselor for thoughts of suicide among college women. An online survey was administered to college students to assess perceived likelihood of seeking help, feelings of connectedness to campus, sense of togetherness with peers, and presence of a supportive group of friends on campus. Findings indicated that feeling connected to campus was positively associated with perceived likelihood of help-seeking for suicidal ideation. Furthermore, this association was stronger among participants reporting either a sense of togetherness with peers or a supportive group of friends. Efforts to increase students’ sense of connection to the larger campus community and build peer relationships may promote help-seeking for suicidal ideation among college women.     

Individual and Peer Characteristics in Predicting Boys' Early Onset of Substance Abuse: A Seven-Year Longitudinal Study

Early onset of substance abuse is a clear marker for future maladjustment in adolescents. The present study employed data originating from 755 6-year-old boys from low SES neighborhoods, who were followed through age 13, to predict this marker. 3 models were tested using LISREL analyses to determine whether individual characteristics and/or peer influences were linked to subsequent substance abuse. Individual characteristics consisted of fighting, hyperactivity, oppositional behaviors, and likability. Peer influences referred to mutual friends' characteristics (aggressiveness and likability). Data were obtained from 3 different sources: teacher ratings, peer ratings, and self-reports. Results were replicated at ages 10, 11, and 12 years with 3 subsamples of the original sample and indicated that individual characteristics, more than friends' deviance, are pivotal in the development of substance abuse. This finding is consistent with results from other longitudinal studies involving children from a variety of cultural backgrounds. It suggests that prevention programs should target individual characteristics and begin at an early age.