Showing papers in "Journal of American College Health in 1988"

AIDS: students' knowledge and attitudes at a midwestern university.

Abstract: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is one of the fastest growing public health concerns in the United States. To understand the educational needs and concerns of young people better, 495 college students were surveyed to examine their knowledge and attitudes concerning AIDS and the relationships between young people's acceptance of homosexual behaviors and their knowledge and fear of AIDS. Results suggest these college students possess moderate knowledge regarding AIDS prevalence, high-risk groups, modes of transmission, and symptoms. They demonstrate some concern (fear) about the transmission of AIDS and are highly nonaccepting of homosexual behavior. More males than females were found to possess negative attitudes toward homosexuality, and those who were highly accepting of homosexual behavior were least fearful of contracting AIDS. These findings indicate the need to focus the content of educational programs on misconceptions about AIDS and, at the same time, to address attitudes toward...

College Student Suicide in the United States: Incidence Data and Prospects for Demonstrating the Efficacy of Preventative Programs

Abstract: Epidemiological reports of suicide of college students in the United States that have appeared in the literature since 1928 include seven single institution and two multi-institution reports. In order to compare this data, the crude rates were corrected to account for demographic variables known to influence suicide rates, especially age, sex, and temporal period. The Standard Mortality Ratio (smr) is an established technique that takes these factors into account. When the published reports of student suicide were converted to smrs, only one institution had an elevated smr. The aggregate smr was 97, which indicates a rate of suicide quite close to that of the age-and sex-matched comparison groups. The multi-institutional data had smrs consistently under 100. The statistics of infrequently occurring events illustrate why the stability of estimates of student suicide rates depend primarily on the number of suicides observed and hardly at all on the number of student-years at risk. Thus, the small n...

Sources of stress among Israeli dental students.

Abstract: One hundred four Hebrew University-Hadassah dental students, graduates of 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1984, ranked a list of 17 potential stress sources in the dental school environment. The main self-reported stressors involved the specific method of teaching dentistry: the quantitative clinical requirements system, inconsistent and no positive feedback from faculty, and fear of falling behind or failing. Items related to time management occupied the middle section of the ranked stress items, while more “objective” and inherent components of dental training—understanding and covering the material taught, manual dexterity, new vocabulary, and treating adults—appeared at the bottom of the list. Treating children was ranked significantly more stressful than treating adults. The main reported stress items tended to increase over time: from fifth till sixth year, and from first till third trimester. Female dental students usually reported higher levels of stress sources than their male counterparts. Studie...

Stress-Related Diagnosis and Barriers to Health Care among Foreign Students: Results of a Survey

Abstract: This survey of 476 college health center directors was made to determine if certain stress-related diagnoses were more prevalent among foreign than domestic students and to identify barriers to health care among foreign students. Previously, a pilot longitudinal study at the University of Southern California (USC) Student Health Center (SHC) revealed that 50 disease entities were significantly increased and 30 were significantly decreased in international students. Further analysis of the diagnoses that may be stress related revealed a greater proportion of those conditions among international students. The findings in this survey of college health centers correlated with the results of the pilot study at USC in two major ways: (1) foreign students had higher frequencies than domestic students in 10 of the stress-related diagnoses; and (2) the barriers to health care found among the USC foreign students were also described by the health center directors. These included language difficulties, diff...

Life stress and depression in university students: clinical illustrations of recent research.

Abstract: Through the use of case vignettes, this paper demonstrates the clinical relevance of findings from previously reported research conducted at the University of Toronto. These published studies link life stress to depression in university students. Three psychosocial factors—a family history of psychiatric illness, stressful life events, and lack of social support—are found to be significantly related to depressive symptoms. A fourth psychosocial factor, childhood or adolescent loss of a nurturing person, was not significantly related to the occurrence of depression. However, that factor remains an important therapeutic focus for a number of depressed students. In addition, the absence of at least a single confidant and certain life events (recent loss of a significant person, changes in living arrangements or academic situation, and financial problems) were identified as specific risk factors for depression. Although depression experienced by students is often serious enough to warrant professiona...

University health service physician intervention with cigarette smokers.

Abstract: (1988). University Health Service Physician Intervention with Cigarette Smokers. Journal of American College Health: Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 91-93.

A Bereavement Group for College Students

Abstract: This paper describes a support group for college students who had suffered a death in the family. The author reviews the symptoms of acute grief and the process of mourning; he describes how painful and difficult grieving can be for college students because of their developmental stage and because of the nature of the college environment. The author suggests that a model of time-limited group psychotherapy can be adapted to the developmental stage of college students, the nature of the college community, and the particular task of grief work. The author describes the course of a bereavement group he led and offers suggestions for the use of such groups, which provide models for outreach efforts and for employing group modalities on campus. A bereavement group facilitates both adjustment to death and readjustment to the campus; it may help prevent withdrawal from school and academic failure.

Association between job stress and perceived quality of life.

Abstract: Professionals in the area of health promotion have been aware for some time of the negative effects of job stress on worker quality of life. This study examined the relationship between job stress and quality of life (QOL) indicators for university faculty and administrators as well as the potential buffering effects of selected variables on these relationships. The principal QOL indicators were considered to be job and life satisfaction and psychophysiological symptoms. The moderating variables of percentage of body fat, maximum oxygen consumption, self-esteem, physical self-esteem, overall social support, and supervisor support were examined for their ability to buffer the effects of job stress on the QOL indicators. Life and job satisfaction and psychophysiological symptoms were found to be significantly related to job stress. Self-esteem, body cathexis, overall social support, supervisor support, and maximum oxygen consumption were found to moderate the effects of job stress on QOL indicators...

The Use of Support Groups to Raise Self-Esteem for Women Clients

Abstract: A counseling intervention that used a structured support group for women clients was examined as a pilot study. Participants were 33 graduate and undergraduate students who responded to an advertisement for a group about “women and change” or who were referred by campus mental health professionals. As predicted, women who participated in the six two-hour sessions, which incorporated skills-learning, counseling, and peer support, increased their self-esteem significantly more than did the women in a wait-list control group. The approach provides data on a possible alternative to traditional, sometimes problematic, counseling for women.

Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection in a Female College Student Population

Abstract: “Physical Dependence on Nicotine in Gum: A Placebo Substitution Trial,” JOHN R. HUGHES, et al. To test whether ex-smokers become physically dependent on nicotine in gum, we entered eight ex-smokers who were using nicotine gum into a randomized, double-blind, placebo-substitution trial. When placebo was substituted, seven of the eight subjects were observed to have withdrawal symptoms and two relapsed to smoking or nicotine gum. This result suggests that physical dependence (i.e., withdrawal) may be a cause of behavioral dependence on nicotine gum (i.e., use of gum beyond the recommended period) and physicians should emphasize the need for gradual reduction of nicotine gum. (Journal of the American Medical Association 1986;255:3277–3279.) “Absence of Therapeutic Benefit From Antacids or Cimetidine in Non-Ulcer Dyspepsia,” OLOF NYREN, et al. We randomly assigned 159 patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia, defined as chronic or recurrent epigastric pain without concomitant symptoms of the irritable bowel...

Family phone therapy in university counseling and psychological service centers: a family systems approach.

Abstract: This paper offers family phone therapy as a method for student mental health practitioners to overcome the obstacle of geographic distance between students and their families when family therapy is the treatment of choice. The issues of confidentiality, triangulation, diversionary conversation, and mixed communication, which present unique concerns when engaging in family phone therapy, are introduced and strategies to deal with them are discussed. A case example is presented to demonstrate the utility of family phone therapy in dealing with problems that students who use university mental health services can typically experience. Finally, implications of dealing with students' developmental tasks from an individual or family systems perspective are discussed.

Premature return to school following a psychotic episode.

Abstract: A college mental health service professional often finds that a student who has had an episode of psychiatric illness is eager to return to fulltime status before he or she seems ready for this undertaking. The mental health professional may advise that the student stay out of school for a longer period, but often this advice is rejected. Approaches to dealing with the problem of return to school following an academic leave prompted by a psychotic episode include the requirement that the student maintain a minimum time out of school and be in treatment during the attempt to return to academic life. The assessment of a student's psychological status at the time of a proposed return often raises the problem of dual agency. Although the college mental health professional is apt to place a high value on maximizing the student's chances of having things work out to his or her liking, the administrator to whom the mental health professional is ultimately responsible is probably inclined to place the ne...

Problems among students seeking mental health care.

Abstract: (1988). Problems among Students Seeking Mental Health Care. Journal of American College Health: Vol. 36, International Students Health, pp. 353-354.

Health behavior change and the college personal health class: a multifaceted approach.

Abstract: Both the literature review and the results of a behavioral change project conducted at the University of Oregon indicate that health courses can bring about positive lifestyle changes when behavior is made a focus of the class. A multi-faceted behavioral intervention strategy was developed and used with 433 students enrolled in personal health classes during the fall term, 1983. At the end of the term, 23% of the students reported they were 100% successful in obtaining their desired behavioral changes. Another 40% reported they had just missed their goal. Overall, it appears the intervention was highly successful. More research is needed to validate the approach.

Health needs assessment of international students and their families at the University of Illinois.

Abstract: Meleis, Afaf I. Arab Students in Western Universities: Social Properties and Dilemmas. Journal of Higher Education, 1982, 53 (July/August) pp. 439–447. Arab students in the U.S. have unique problems. Arab students have a tremendous need for affiliation due to their upbringing in extended families. They prefer close, personal relationships and shun impersonal Western-style business relationships. They put a high value on close eye-and body-contact in all relationships and are highly oriented to oral communication. Arab students therefore may have difficulty in completing reading and written assignments. Whereas the American educational system stresses the value of independent thought, problem-solving, and discussion, the Arab educational system stresses the value of receiving information from an authority. Arab students therefore appear passive and unoriginal when placed in an American educational setting. Arab students in American universities tend to express their loneliness and confusion throug...

Trends in contraceptive use among university women 1974-1983: a decade of change.

Abstract: Data obtained from interviews with nearly 4700 female students utilizing a university contraceptive clinic over 10 consecutive years (1974-83) indicated that the pill was the most popular contraceptive of 3 prescription methods (pills IUD and diaphragm). Although the pill dominated in each of the 10 years examined the percentage of women using this method substantially declined from 1974 (89%) to 1983 (73%). However the percentage of pill users slightly increased after 1980 and remained fairly constant. Conversely a trend of increased diaphragm selection emerged over time with only 6% of the study population choosing this method in 1974 compared with 25% 10 years later. Diaphragm use however peaked in 1980 (33%) and then declined during the following 3 years. Ethnicity was significantly correlated with pill and diaphragm preference. A higher percentage of black (84%) and Hispanic (78%) women selected pills compared with white women (69%) but a higher percentage of whites (24%) chose diaphragms compared with blacks (12%) and Hispanics (15%). Pill use was inversely related to age but diaphragm and IUD preference increased with age. These patterns are consistent with national trends in contraceptive use over the past decade and indicate that the pill may be making a comeback. (authors)

Psychological processes in immigration and absorption: the case of immigrant students in Israel.

Abstract: Our experience in both community work and psychotherapy with immigrant students has led us to conclude that these students go through a complex and meaningful psychological process inherent to immigration. We suggest that this process involves internal separation and the working through of a significant loss; we present a conceptual model of immigration based on this assumption. To help in understanding the complexities of immigration that are specific to students, we briefly sketch some psychological aspects of adolescence. Our integrative view of immigration and adolescence allows us to identify environmental factors that influence an individual's immigration process. It also allows us to intervene in the environment in a way that eases absorption into the Israeli community. An application of our views is illustrated in the consultation offered to a supportive community network for immigrant students.

Chlamydia trachomatis, monoclonal antibody testing, wet mount screening, and the university health service.

Abstract: This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of vaginal wet mount screening in the diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis using the diagnostic technique of direct immunofluorescent monoclonal antibody (Microtrak) and to determine any correlation between history, physical findings, and laboratory testing. These techniques revealed that 41% of symptomatic patients and 17% of asymptomatic patients were diagnosed as having chlamydia. History and physical examination findings were not significant selective features. It was further demonstrated that a significant number of cases (30% yield) can be detected when the Microtrak technique is combined with simple screening criteria based on wet mount evaluation of white blood cells. The absence of a positive history in 17% of the cases confirms that Chlamydia trachomatis cervicitis is frequently a silent disease and requires effective screening and diagnostic techniques.

Marketing postsecondary health services.

Abstract: This article reviews the major elements of marketing as applied to college and university health service programs. Changes in the health care industry, institutional debate about the advisability of institutionally based health centers, and the erroneous equation of promotion as marketing are reviewed. The necessity for research data to determine campus health program offerings is articulated as the most important aspect of successful marketing programs for health services. Types of segmentation for user groups are detailed, as well as the basic elements of an environmental analysis. The four fundamental aspects of health care marketing are discussed: the need to define the “core of service” for the health center; the issues associated with the access corridor to care; the task of refining communication channels; and the difficulty of measuring the effect of price on service usage rates. For marketing efforts to have a positive effect, colleges and universities must have an institutional commitme...

Testicular Self-Examination: Reaching the College Male

Abstract: (1988). Testicular Self-Examination: Reaching the College Male. Journal of American College Health: Vol. 37, No. 3, pp. 131-132.

Mental health consultation in campus discipline: a program of primary prevention.

Abstract: This article describes an outreach program that involves mental health professionals in college campus discipline. Through emphasis on preventive consultation to residence hall staff before any disciplinary problems occur, the conflicts of interest inherent in a reactive, after-the-fact involvement are avoided. The acquisition of discipline as an age-appropriate developmental task is discussed and suggestions provided as to the most efficient ways mental health consultants can facilitate this growth and maturation. Common problem areas are discussed and solutions are suggested.

Long-Term Tetracycline Use in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris—The Role of Routine Laboratory Monitoring

Abstract: The medical directors of 125 college health services were surveyed to determine the frequency and extent of routine laboratory monitoring of patients with acne treated with low-dose oral tetracycline. Thirty-seven percent of the practitioners in 89 health services treating acne routinely order screening tests. Thirty-five percent obtain blood counts, 24% obtain liver function tests, and 21% order both types of tests. Sixty-three percent of health service practitioners ordered no routine laboratory testing. A literature review revealed that the reported renal, hepatic, and hematopoietic side effects of tetracycline occurred in patients on high-dose intravenous therapy, in critically ill or hospitalized patients, in patients with initial renal insufficiency, or in older patients. Although idiosyncratiac reactions have occurred, no significant side effects found by routine monitoring have been reported with low-dose oral tetracycline in healthy patients. A more cost-effective approach to the use of ...

Bunk bed injuries in college students

Abstract: We surveyed 1,431 college seniors to investigate the frequency and severity of injury after falls from bed. This data was analyzed along with data obtained from both the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the armed forces. We found that falls from bed are common in young adults and that injuries are more likely to occur with falls from bunk or loft beds than from standard beds (p = 0.025). Falls were most common when students were climbing out of bed or were startled awake. Alcohol use was implicated in 36% of the falls. We recommend that the heights of nonstandard beds for students be lowered, that alarms and phones be placed within easy reach, and that sturdy, fixed devices be used to descend. Intoxicated individuals should be placed on standard beds or lower.

Involving parents in the management of psychiatric emergencies in college students far from home.

Abstract: The treatment of severely disturbed college students who are psychotic or potentially suicidal or homicidal poses for the college mental health professional (CMHP) difficult clinical decisions regarding the students' parents. Relevant issues include timing of contacts with parents and techniques for engaging them in decisions concerning the treatment. These issues are particularly pertinent when the student lives far from home and there is a need for hospitalization. The therapist's avoidance of contact with the family, characteristic of psychotherapy with college students, is often detrimental to the treatment of students with serious psychiatric problems. When hospitalization is indicated, a working alliance with parents is enhanced when they are informed early and are encouraged to participate in the decisions regarding treatment, especially the selection of the treating psychiatrist and location of treatment. When the CMHP acts in loco parentis, the parents are more likely to fight for contro...

Student Health: An International Interchange

Abstract: (1988). Student Health: An International Interchange. Journal of American College Health: Vol. 36, International Students Health, pp. 303-303.