Biomedical subjects

Gail M Houck

Publications and source records attributed to Gail M Houck.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2002

Mother-toddler interaction and the development of self-regulation in a limit-setting context.

The Prohibition Coding Scheme was used to longitudinally assess observations of maternal and toddler limit-setting interactions at 12, 24, and 36 months. The final sample consisted of 126 mother-toddler dyads. Toddler behavior in a limit-setting context exemplified progressing skill in self-regulation from 12 to 36 months. Specifically, toddlers exhibited less persistence, increasing autonomy, and increasing ability to inhibit their behavior, with half of the toddlers classified as "autonomous-compliant" by 36 months of age. As a group, mothers also adapted their socializing behavior during toddlerhood, decreasing their use of directive structure and distractions, and using more cognitive strategies. A maternal "teaching-based", limit-setting pattern was associated with more competent toddler response-to-limits patterns at each age, and more mothers used a teaching-based limit-setting style by 36 months of age. These findings provide validity for the Prohibition Coding Scheme and extend our knowledge base for guiding parents in their socializing strategies relative to developing self-regulation. Clinical implications and areas for further research are addressed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

A program to educate school nurses about mental health interventions.

Concerned with the increasing incidence of mental health problems in children and adolescents and the impact of these problems on students' school success and predisposition to self- and other-directed violence, the Multnomah Education Service District Department of School Health Services determined to become proactive by providing preventive interventions for students experiencing actual or potential mental health problems. An educational program was designed to assist school nurses in the identification of potential mental health problems. In addition, information about appropriate interventions for students at risk for aggression, violence, and other mental health pathology was presented. The program involved education on mental health assessment and intervention, as well as expert psychiatric clinical support for the development of student support groups. School nurses were then challenged to develop practice improvement projects incorporating this knowledge for a group of students in their work setting. This introductory article describes the project's general rationale and implementation process. The four articles following in this issue of The Journal of School Nursing describe the goals, implementation, and outcomes of the practice improvement projects developed for early intervention with students exhibiting attention disorders, school absenteeism, social withdrawal, and depression.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Small group intervention for children with attention disorders.

Children with attention disorders can experience adverse long-term effects on academic performance, vocational success, and socioemotional development. They experience some level of functional impairment that extends across settings, including the home and school. In combination with medication, group interventions with school-age children were found to be effective for enhancing social behavior. This article describes two practice improvement projects that provided group experiences for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, including disruptive behavior. Four skill domains were addressed: communication, friendship, self-control, and social problem solving. One project provided activities for early school-age children with ADHD who were treated with medication only. Another provided a support group on self-management for freshman boys with ADHD who were also treated with medication only. In both projects, the disruptive behavior of the participants decreased by the end of the group sessions.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

A support group for absentee middle school students.

For this practice improvement project, an interview guide was developed to identify chronically absent middle school students' reasons for school absence. Of the 17 students interviewed, 82% (n = 14) identified illness as the reason for absence, although they rarely saw a health care provider. The students all shared dreams for the future; 50% involved further education, and 50% involved job training. A support group intervention was offered to the 17 students during spring term. Only three students were able to participate in a weekly group meeting for 5 weeks. Two of the three students were depressed and referred to their health care providers for evaluation. The topics presented to the group included being sick and options available, setting weekly attendance goals, identifying depressive symptoms and what they mean, and likes and dislikes about school. The support group occurred late in the school year, so its effect on attendance was not determined.

Absenteeism↗

PubMed2002

Small group experience for socially withdrawn girls.

Social competence is the effectiveness of social interaction behavior. Given its link to mental health outcomes, it is an important consideration in child and adolescent development. Social withdrawal is associated with depression. Socially withdrawn children make few social initiations and tend to be isolated in their play, further limiting their social involvement. To develop effective social behavior, experiences must be provided to learn relationship skills. This practice improvement project provided a small group experience for five socially withdrawn school-age girls. Weekly group meetings provided a social situation in which conversations could occur around a shared snack and craft project. The school nurse facilitated self-assertion and the expression of prosocial behavior in a socially safe (nonrejecting) environment and promoted social problem solving. On completion of the program, the participants not only showed more effective social reasoning and social skills, but developed friendships with each other that lasted beyond the life of the group.

Child↗

PubMed2002

A support group intervention for at-risk female high school students.

School nurses have an opportunity to engage in early intervention with high-risk adolescents. School-based support groups for depressed adolescents have been effective when aimed at providing skills training as well as emotional support. In this practice improvement project, 14 high-risk female adolescents from two high schools were identified on the basis of signs associated with depression. The students completed a questionnaire about risk and protective factors during the assessment and at the end of the intervention. Twelve students participated in a weekly support group designed to enhance coping skills and to provide emotional support. Assessment revealed that the students were at suicide risk. At the conclusion of the group intervention, there was a 55% decrease in suicidal ideation, a 27% decrease in perceived stress, and a 26% decrease in family distress. In addition, most of the students became engaged in formal treatment for the first time.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Maternal characteristics and maternal limit-setting styles.

In a longitudinal study of 126 mothers and toddlers during toddlerhood, maternal limit-setting styles were assessed at 12, 24, and 36 months in relation to selected maternal characteristics. Mothers using teaching-based limit-setting styles at 12 months reported more optimal relationship histories of care and overprotection/control in their own families of origin. The main contributor to a maternal teaching-based limit-setting style in this sample was years of formal education, followed by a more multicausal conceptualization of how children develop. Thus, while years of formal education appear to facilitate the use of a teaching-based limit-setting style, formal education is not the only way to develop these skills. Maternal conceptualization of development may be amenable to intervention through a number of alternative learning activities. Further research is needed to explore the effects of different types of educational and learning opportunities on current maternal behavior, with the goal of optimizing socialization skills related to the development of toddler self-regulation.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Maternal limit-setting patterns and toddler development of self-concept and social competence.

In 126 mother-toddler dyads, the relationships between maternal limit-setting patterns at 12, 24, and 36 months were examined in relation to toddler self-concept and social competence at 3 years. Maternal limit-setting patterns differentiated toddler self-concept and social competence scores, demonstrating effects of socialization as well as cognitive maturation. Less optimal toddler outcomes at 36 months were associated with an inconsistent maternal limit-setting style and an indirect style. Children of mothers with a teaching-based pattern yielded the most positive outcomes. Although a power-based maternal limit-setting style was related to diminished self-regulatory behavior in a concurrent limit-setting context, outcomes for children of power-based mothers in terms of self-concept and social competence were not as negative as expected.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Assessing the feeding/eating interaction as a context for the development of social competence in toddlers.

Social competence likely develops through the reciprocal nature of mother-child interactions. Interactions around food provide the young child with consistent and predictable social experiences with the mother, which may establish templates for interactive patterns with others. The Toddler Snack Scale (TSS) assesses the pattern of toddler social behaviors in relation to maternal behaviors during an eating episode. Scale reliability was examined with a sample of 126 dyads at the child's ages of 12, 24, and 36 months. Significant associations were found between TSS classifications and concurrent measures assessed with the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale (NCATS), the Control-Autonomy Balance Scale (CABS), and the Adaptive Social Behavioral Inventory (ASBI). Child temperament contributed to child expressions of social competence, but not to the assignment of maternal or child interaction styles. The scale identifies salient areas for parent-child assessment and intervention throughout infancy and toddlerhood.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Increased mental health needs and new roles in school communities.

TOPIC: Mental health issues and partnership roles in school communities. PURPOSE: To heighten the awareness of healthcare providers about the multiple mental health conditions students bring into school communities and the impact of these conditions on students' ability to learn; to encourage partnering between healthcare providers and educators to support students in achieving academic and developmental success. SOURCES: Literature review and authors' experiences with assessment of and intervention with school-age children presenting with impaired mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Health and education systems must increase their partnerships on behalf of children for a healthy future.

Adolescent↗