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Biomedical subjects

R Forehand

Publications and source records attributed to R Forehand.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Juvenile sex offenders: similar to, or different from, other incarcerated delinquent offenders?

The purpose of the present study was to compare incarcerated juvenile sex offenders to incarcerated youth who committed confrontational but nonsex offenses, and to those youth who committed only nonconfrontational, nonsex offenses. Furthermore, comparisons were made between two subtypes of sex offenders: those youth convicted for rape or sodomy vs those convicted for child molestation. Eighty-three male juvenile delinquents served as participants. Teachers within the correctional facility completed an instrument which allowed the examination of the two areas of interest: externalizing problems and internalizing problems. The results indicated that sex offenders generally, and particularly those who had committed only sex offenses, were perceived as having fewer externalizing and internalizing problems. No differences emerged between the two subtypes of sex offenders. Implications, as well as limitations, of the findings are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Suicide attempts among juvenile delinquents; the contribution of mental health factors.

This study examined which, if any, of four variables (depression, hopelessness, conduct problems, substance abuse) differentiated suicide attemptors from nonattemptors among incarcerated juvenile delinquents. Fifty-one male youth served as subjects. The predictor variables were collected by either a standardized interview or an orally administered questionnaire. Youth self-report data regarding suicide attempts were collected. The results indicated that depression served as a predictor of suicide attempts but only in white, not black, youth. Suicide attempts also were reported three times more often in white than black participants. Implication, as well as limitations, of the findings are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Co-occurrence of substance abuse with conduct, anxiety, and depression disorders in juvenile delinquents.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the co-occurrence of substance abuse and three other psychiatric disorders (conduct disorder, depression, anxiety) in an incarcerated juvenile delinquent sample. Diagnostic interviews were utilized to place participants in one of three groups: No substance abuse, alcohol/marijuana abuse, or polysubstance abuse. Frequency of diagnosis and number of symptoms of three psychiatric disorders were then examined. The results indicated that the diagnosis of conduct disorder increased significantly with the occurrence of substance abuse. Also, the number of symptoms for conduct disorder, anxiety, and depression increased with substance abuse. With polysubstance abuse the probability of having more than one of the other psychiatric diagnoses was above 50%. Potential explanations for the findings, focusing on the developmental trajectory for conduct problems and self-medication for internalizing disorders, are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Contemporaneous and longitudinal associations of sibling conflict with family relationship assessments and family discussions about sibling problems.

The first purpose of this study was to examine contemporaneous and longitudinal associations of maternal and paternal measures of family functioning with observational and self-report assessments of sibling conflict. The second purpose was to determine whether the ways in which families attempt to solve siblings' problems are associated with contemporaneous and longitudinal assessment of sibling conflict. The results indicate that paternal equality of treatment and family harmony during family discussions about sibling problems, as well as parents' perceptions of family cohesiveness, are associated with lower sibling conflict levels.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Is parental divorce a critical stressor for young adolescents? Grade point average as a case in point.

Previous studies have shown parental divorce to be associated with poor functioning of children and adolescents. Almost all of the studies attempting to delineate these effects, and to shed light on the differences between boys and girls, have limited data collection to postdivorce. This practice has left a void in the picture of divorce--specifically in the area of predivorce effects. The purpose of the present study was to examine academic functioning of young adolescents with respect to both pre- and postdivorce effects. Fifty-eight young adolescents (29 from families which subsequently divorced and 29 from families which remained intact) were studied. Results indicated that boys from subsequently divorcing homes had significantly poorer academic functioning prior to their parents' divorce than did boys whose families remained intact and girls whose parents divorced. Differentially, girls from subsequently divorcing families showed a decline in academic functioning which began prior to divorce and continued beyond the time of divorce. Possible explanations for these gender differences are explored, and the importance of examining predivorce effects is addressed.

Achievement↗
PubMed1992

Psychopathology in incarcerated juvenile delinquents: does it extend beyond externalizing problems?

The present study attempted to delineate factors that are associated with and may contribute to juvenile delinquency. Delinquents were compared to a matched control group of nonoffenders on a measure of mental health problems. Twenty-four male and female incarcerated juvenile offenders and 24 nonoffending adolescents were evaluated on the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist (RBPC). As expected, the offenders scored higher (an indication of more psychopathology) on the subscales of the RBPC which represent externalizing types of problems. The offenders also scored significantly higher on the subscales reflecting internalizing problems and psychotic behavior. The results of this study point to the importance of assessing and treating offenders, especially those who are incarcerated, for difficulties other than externalizing problems.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

A short-term longitudinal examination of young adolescent functioning following divorce: the role of family factors.

The purposes of this study were to examine young adolescent functioning over a 2-year period after divorce and to assess the role of two family factors, interpersonal conflict and the parent-adolescent relationship, in predicting such functioning. One hundred and twelve young adolescents, their mothers, and their social studies teachers served as participants. One-half of the adolescent were from recently divorced families and one-half were from married families. Mothers completed measures concerning interparental conflict and the parent-adolescent relationship, adolescents completed a measure of the relationship, and teachers completed measures assessing four areas of adolescent functioning. The results indicated that adolescents from divorced families were functioning less well than those from married families. There were no changes in adolescent functioning and the parent-adolescent relationship from the first to second year postdivorce. High levels of interparental conflict in divorced families were associated with more parent-adolescent relationship problems. In turn parent-adolescent relationships problems served as the best predictor of concurrent and subsequent difficulty in adolescent functioning.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Juvenile delinquency entry and persistence: do attention problems contribute to conduct problems?

We examined the role of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in juvenile delinquency. Forty-two incarcerated male delinquents participated. Thirty of these youths met the criterion for conduct disorder (CD), only while 12 met the criterion for CD and ADHD. The results indicated that the latter group were arrested at an earlier age and had more total arrests than those in the former group; however, they did not have more criminal charges against them. The role of intellectual and academic skills in these findings was considered. It appears that ADHD has an important additive influence on the development and persistence of juvenile delinquency. Implications for the behavior therapist are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Juvenile firesetting: a unique syndrome or an advanced level of antisocial behavior?

The current study examined whether juvenile firesetting represents a unique syndrome or an advanced level of antisocial behavior. Thirty-six incarcerated juvenile delinquents, all of whom met criteria for a diagnosis of Conduct Disorder, served as subjects and were categorized into one of three groups: firesetters, non-firesetters but comparable to firesetters in number of conduct disorder symptoms, and non-firesetters who displayed fewer conduct disorder symptoms than the other two groups. Caregivers completed the Child Behavior Checklist on the youth to provide information about the severity and range of psychopathology. The results indicated that firesetters and non-firesetters who had a comparable number of symptoms did not differ from one another on the CBCL subscales of adolescent psychopathology but both differed from the group with fewer symptoms. These results suggest that firesetting does represent an advanced level of antisocial behavior, but that firesetting is not a unique syndrome, at least not in terms of caretakers' perceptions of the youths' problematic behavior. Implications for treatment of firesetters are presented.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

The role of family stressors and parent relationships on adolescent functioning.

This study examined the association between cumulative family stressors (divorce, interparental conflict, maternal depression) and adolescent functioning as well as the protective role of the parent-adolescent relationship as perceived by the adolescent when family stressors are present. Two hundred and thirty-one adolescents, their mothers, and their social studies teachers served as the subjects. Results indicated that, as family stressors increased, adolescent functioning deteriorated. Furthermore, a positive parent-adolescent relationship as perceived by the adolescent was associated with less deterioration in all areas of functioning. The role of the relationship in protecting the adolescent supported both a stress buffering model and a main effect model.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

The transition to adolescence: the role of gender and stress in problem behavior and competence.

The differential change of boys and girls across pre-adolescence, early adolescence, and middle adolescence was examined. The participants were 259 children, their mothers, and their social studies teachers. The children completed a measure of internalizing problems and adults completed measures of the child's externalizing and internalizing problems and competence. Relative to girls, boys had more problems and less competence at pre-adolescence and/or less problems and more competence by mid-adolescence. A stressor, parental divorce, did not exacerbate the gender by developmental age period interaction. The differential vulnerability of boys and girls at different developmental periods is considered.

Achievement↗
PubMed1991

Preventing parental child abduction: analysis of a national project.

Recent data from a study indicate that child abduction by a parent is up to six times more frequent than previous estimates had suggested. Relative to parental child abductions, stranger abductions occur on a very infrequent basis. While much attention has been placed on prevention programs for stranger abductions, prevention programs for parental child abduction have been nonexistent. The present study analyzes data from a national hotline program that targeted prevention of parental child abduction. Data were collected on 86 consecutive telephone calls from parents contemplating abduction of their child(ren). These data provide information on demographic variables, level of interparental conflict/violence, reasons for contemplating abduction, and abduction plans. Data are also presented that indicate a mediation program may be effective in preventing some cases of parental child abduction. However, such a mediation program is a very difficult course of action and impacts only a small percentage of parental child abduction cases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Role of maternal functioning and parenting skills in adolescent functioning following parental divorce.

While divorce has been associated with impaired child functioning, the mechanisms within the divorce process leading to such an outcome have rarely been examined. The following hypothesis was examined: Divorce is associated with poor parental adjustment or disrupts parenting behavior, or both, which leads to poor adolescent functioning. Subjects were 121 and 93 young adolescents from intact and recently divorced families, respectively, and their mothers and teachers. Mothers completed measures assessing parental conflict and depression, observers coded parenting skills during a mother-adolescent interaction, and teachers completed measures assessing adolescent functioning. Although the magnitude of differences was not large, analyses of variance indicated that the divorced sample was functioning poorer than the married sample on all measures except interparental conflict. Path analysis suggested that parental functioning and parenting skills play a role in adolescent functioning following divorce.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1990

A mediational model of the impact of marital conflict on adolescent adjustment in intact and divorced families: the role of disrupted parenting.

The present study was concerned with the development and testing of a structural equation model wherein the relation of interparental conflict to the adjustment problems of young adolescents is mediated through its impact on 3 aspects of parenting behavior: lax control, psychological control, and parental rejection/withdrawal. The model was tested separately on a sample of 46 young adolescents from intact families and a group of 51 adolescents from recently divorced families. The hypothesis that most of the relation between martial conflict and adolescent adjustment problems could be explained through perturbations in the parent-child relationship received considerable support; the only direct effect of conflict was on externalizing problems in the intact sample. The results also suggested that the mediational patterns were somewhat different for the 2 samples, and that the model accounts for a greater proportion of the variance in the adjustment problems of adolescents from intact homes than of those from recently divorced families.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1989

Adolescent school performance following parental divorce: are there family factors that can enhance success?

Most research on the effects of divorce on children has focused on delineation of specific areas of child maladjustment. A more optimistic approach seeks to identify variables that may mediate negative effects of a stressor, such as parental divorce. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between one area of child adjustment, school achievement, and family factors which may mediate the negative influence of divorce. The subjects were 71 early adolescents and their recently divorced mothers. The adolescents were divided into low, medium, and high grade achievement groups. Analyses of variance and subsequent Newman-Keuls tests revealed that adolescents with high grade point averages had mothers with a lower level of depression, a higher educational level, less conflict with their ex-spouse, and less intense levels of conflict between mother and adolescent than those in the low grade point average group. A discriminant analysis resulted in a two-variable equation which accounted for 33% of the variance between low and high grade achievers. The two variables were mother's report of conflict between her and her ex-spouse in front of the adolescent and the adolescent's report of the intensity of arguments between him/herself and mother. These results indicated that school performance following divorce is not uniform for all adolescents and that family factors may mediate scholastic achievement problems.

Achievement↗
PubMed1979

Parent behavioral training: an analysis of the relationship among multiple outcome measures.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship among three types of outcome measures that have been employed to evaluate parent behavioral trainining: observational data collected by independent observers, parent-collected data, and parent-completed questionnaires. Previous research suggests that all three measures yield positive outcome data; however, a correlational analysis has not been performed to determine if the subjects who demonstrate the largest (smallest) change on one measure demonstrate the largest (smallest) change on the other measures. The present study undertook such a correlational analysis. Subjects were 20 young clinic-referred children and their mothers. Treatment consisted of a standardized parent training program to modify child noncompliance. All three outcome measures (observational data, parent-collected data, and questionnaire data) indicated that therapy was effective. A correlational analysis performed on the outcome measures indicated a number of significant relationships for dependent variables within the observational data and within the questionnaire data; however, there were no significant relationships across the three outcome measures. Although different outcome measures may yield similar conclusions about the effectiveness of parent behavioral training, the results suggest that any one subject, relative to other subjects, does not demonstrate uniform degrees of change across the three outcome measures. Explanations for the findings, as well as their implications, are discussed.

Behavior Therapy↗