Family Mapping: A Cumulative Measure of Family Structure and Instability

Family structure is an important area of study given the growing rates of family instability. The research, however, is limited due to broad definitions and measurement methods that only consider one time point. Using a sample of young adults (N = 398), our goal was to develop a user-friendly implementation procedure and coding system that efficiently captures a broad range of information. The coding system offered includes multiple levels of detail and hundreds of previously untapped variables. Examinations of standard methods versus the cumulative family mapping method revealed additional variance explained in measures of substance use, providing early indications of measurement utility.     

Preparing Social Work Students for Integrated Health Care: Results From a National Study

ABSTRACT

Integrated health care serves a vital role in addressing interrelated physical and behavioral health conditions, but social work graduates often lack sufficient training to work on integrated teams. We surveyed 94 deans of master’s of social work programs to assess the current and planned integrated health care curricula and the aptitude of schools to teach this material. We applied chi-square analyses to evaluate differences among programs that reported already teaching integrated health content and programs not yet delivering this curriculum. Findings suggest that deans of schools not yet teaching this material not only felt less prepared but also reported a lower capacity to do so. Implications and next steps to increasing integrated health curricula are presented and discussed.     

Supporting Vulnerable Families Through School-Based Mental Health Services: Results of Caregiver and Teacher Focus Groups

Family perspectives facilitate participation and positive outcomes in child mental health treatment. In schools, families and teachers must cooperate to best meet children's mental health needs, also making teacher perspectives important. In this study, caregivers and teachers participated in focus groups following the pilot year of a school-based mental health (SBMH) project. Participants noted successes and challenges of the project and suggested improvements. Although this study focuses on the SBMH project, many of the study implications are applicable to other school mental health programs and may be of value to school and community practitioners.     

The Association Between Sexual Behavior and Affect: Moderating Factors in Young Women

Sexual behavior is associated with increased positive affect and decreased negative affect. However, contextual variables such as partner type, behavior type, and condom use may moderate these associations. The goal of the present research was to examine these contextual moderators using monthly longitudinal data from a sample of young women. Female first-year college students (N = 477) completed monthly assessments of their sexual behaviors and positive and negative affect. Participants reported more negative affect in months in which they engaged in sexual behavior compared to months in which they did not. This association was moderated by partner type, such that only sexual behavior with casual partners was associated with increased negative affect. Participants reported more positive affect during months with kissing/touching only compared to months without sexual behavior; however, this association did not differ significantly from the association between oral/vaginal sex and positive affect. Condom use did not moderate the association between vaginal sex and positive or negative affect. In this sample of young women transitioning to college, engaging in sexual behavior was generally associated with negative affect; however, changes in affect depended on partner type and sexual behaviors. Findings have implications for sexual health education.     

Understanding Fraternity Drinking: Five Recurring Themes in the Literature, 1980–1998

Abstract

In light of widespread concern about alcohol abuse on college campuses, the authors review the empirical literature concerning fraternity drinking published since 1980. The review is structured according to 5 themes that emerge from the literature: (a) the continuity between high school and college drinking, (b) the self-selection of heavy drinkers into environments that support heavy drinking, (c) the central role of alcohol in fraternity socialization, (d) the misperception of drinking norms, and (e) the enabling environment of the fraternity house. The literature is summarized for the benefit of those who wish to better understand the role of alcohol use in the fraternity system.