Community Context of Social Resources and Adolescent Mental Health

This study investigated cross‐level mediational and moderational community and family influences on adolescent depressive symptoms. Using multilevel data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we predicted that structural community characteristics such as community poverty and ethnic heterogeneity would influence community social resources, which in turn would influence adolescent depressive symptoms. We further predicted that community social resources would influence adolescent depressive symptoms through family social resources. Findings also suggested that the influence of the parent‐child relationship on adolescent depressive symptoms is weaker in more adverse communities than in less adverse communities. The findings underscore the importance of placing family process models within the community context when adolescent outcomes are investigated.     

A stochastic approach to the estimation of the prevalence of IUD: Example of Taiwan,Republic of China

Assuming three patterns of changes in number of new IUD insertions, three stochastic models have been developed for the estimation of the “prevalence” of IUD in situ at a given point of time. The advantages of these models, compared with the conventional ways of estimating IUD prevalence, rest with their ease of use and simplicity of method for calculating variances of the estimates. The models are also useful for family planning administrators to set program targets. A correction factor to estimate the number of IUDs which, although “currently in situ,” are worn by women who have “passed over” the upper age limit of their reproductive spans has also been developed. This is particularly useful in estimating the “effective retention” of IUD.     

The island-wide family planning programme in Taiwan: Analysis of the accomplishments of the past eight years

Abstract Taiwan's island-wide family planning programme is the showcase of similar programmes in the developing world. In the past eight years, between 1964 and 1971, a cumulative total of 935,000 married women accepted the Lippes loop, 236,000 accepted the pill, and 116,000 couples accepted condoms. The prevalence rates of loop and pill users at the end of 1971 are estimated at 18·7 per cent and 3-6 per cent respectively. The programme had been recruiting more younger women of lower parity to practise family planning which is desirable, but a fact of concern is that a large proportion of the acceptors had had at least one son, and had accepted the methods to stop, rather than to space births. The 'life expectancy' of loop and pill, the two major contraceptives recommended in the programme, have been shorter than expected, 31·4 months without and 49·9 months with re-insertion for the loop, and only 10·5 months without re-taking for the pill. The concepts of 'half-life (retention)' and 'half-life (impact)', developed by the author, were applied in the analysis to obtain the values of 18·6 months and 25·7 months respectively for the loop, and 5·8 months and 9·2 months respectively for the pill all for the first segment. Only nine per cent of the total current loop wearers were aged 40-44 in 1964, but the proportion had increased substantially, to 20·5 per cent, in 1971. This 'ageing' of current users tends to minimize the demographic impact of the programme which is a factor of concern. Methods to overcome this and other problems should be explored for the final success of the programme.     

African American Stepfather–Stepchild Relationships,Marital Quality,and Mental Health

ABSTRACT

This study examined associations between stepfather–stepchild relationship quality, stepfathers’ depressive symptoms, and two aspects of marriage: marital quality and positive marital interactions. Marital quality was assessed in terms of commitment, trust, passionate and friendship-based love, and happiness. Marital interactions were assessed in terms of intimacy, shared activities, and verbal communication. Using data collected from 149 recently married African American stepfathers, structural equation modeling revealed that when stepfathers reported more positive relationships with their stepchildren, they also reported more positive marital quality and a higher frequency of positive marital interactions (relationship-solidifying activities), and that, in turn, was associated with stepfathers experiencing fewer depressive symptoms.     

Using respondent-driven sampling with ‘hard to reach’ marginalised young people: problems with slow recruitment and small network size

This paper documents an experience of using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to recruit socially marginalised young people in Sydney, Australia. Respondents were young people aged 16–24?years who were current illicit drug users and who reported at least one feature of social marginalisation (e.g. recent homelessness or juvenile detention). Four seeds initiated the sampling and 61 respondents were recruited until the sampling was closed due to slow progress at week nine. The paper examines: (1) the overall success of RDS and compares this with similar RDS studies; and (2) the sufficiency of network ties among respondents. The analyses suggest that RDS was generally successful in that, despite its small size, the sample achieved adequately long recruitment chains and variables converged to equilibrium. Nevertheless, recruitment was much slower than comparable studies. This could be due to the study population having reduced willingness to participate, a high proportion of respondents who did not fit the selection criteria, and small and disparate networks. Using RDS with marginalised youth may require generous resourcing to allow large incentives to increase willingness, and a lengthy recruitment period. Moreover, the small networks suggest that researchers should start the sampling with a large number of seeds.     

Peep show establishments,police activity,public place,and time: A study of secondary effects in San Diego,California

DISORDERS OF SEXUAL DESIRE AND OTHER NEW CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES IN SEX THERAPY . (The New Sex Therapy, Volume II.). Helen S. Kaplan. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1979; 257 pages; $17.50.

CHRISTIANITY, SOCIAL TOLERANCE, AND HOMOSEXUALITY: GAY PEOPLE IN WESTERN EUROPE FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA TO THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY . John Boswell. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1980; 424 pages; $27.50.

THE UNMENTIONABLE VICE: HOMOSEXUALITY IN THE LATER MEDIEVAL PERIOD . Michael Goodich. Santa Barbara, CA: Ross‐Erikson, 1979; 164 pages; $6.95.

TABU HOMOSEXUALITÄT: DIE GESCHICHTE EINES VORURTEILS . Gisela Bleibtreu‐Ehrenberg. Frankfurt a. M.: S. Fischer, 1978; 443 pages; DM 29.80.

AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF HOMOSEXUALITY (in two volumes). Vern L. Bullough, W. Dorr Legg, Barrett W. Elcano, and James Kepner. New York &; London: Garland Publishing, 1976; 405 and 468 pages; $88.

PORNOGRAPHY: THE CONFLICT OVER SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIALS IN THE UNITED STATES . Greg Byerly and Rick Rubin. New York: Garland Publishing, 1980; 188 pages; $20.

SEXUALMEDIZIN IN DER PRAXIS . Wolf Eicher. Stuttgart &; New York: Gustav Fischer Verlag, 1980; 590 pages; DM 178.00.     

School as haven: Transforming school environments into welcoming learning communities

This study investigated school factors that impact attendance. Interviews and focus groups with over 60 key stakeholders from five Maryland counties were conducted. Respondents indicated that despite individual, family, and community factors that contribute to non-attendance, students will attend a school that is intentional about creating a welcoming climate that is supportive and academically stimulating. Attendance can be improved when schools evaluated policies that may unintentionally deter student attendance, when students feel heard by school personnel, and when students are given opportunities to establish supportive relationships with caring adults in and out of the classroom.     

What Changes MSW Students' View on the Mission of Social Work?

Little is known about how professional social work education affects students' view on the social work mission. Using a secondary analysis of larger longitudinal data collected from masters in social work (MSW) students in California, USA, this study sought to explore the relationship among the students' demographic characteristics, their primary reasons for pursuing an MSW degree, and their view on the mission of social work at the time of entering an MSW program, whether the students' view on the mission of social work changed in the course of an MSW education, and factors contributing to a change of MSW students' view on the social work mission—individual adaptation vs societal change—between the beginning and the end of the MSW program. The results showed that students' degree of social action involvement, type of field practicum, and ideological variables predicted students' view changes or adherence between entering the MSW program and graduating.     

Estimation of a multivariate normal covariance matrix under a certain structure

We consider the estimation of Σ of the p-dimensional normal distribution N_p (0, Σ) when Σ?=?θ₀ I_p ?+?θ₁ aa′, where a is an unknown p-dimensional normalized vector and θ₀?>?0, θ₁?≥?0 are also unknown. First, we derive the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) estimator. Second, we propose a new estimator, which dominates the REML estimator with respect to Stein's loss function. Finally, we carry out Monte Carlo simulation to investigate the magnitude of the new estimator's superiority.