Harry Hoberman

Training in supervision, familiarity with the supervisory literature, and experiences as supervisors were surveyed in 62 supervisors at clinical psychology internships. Supervisors had received or obtained relatively little training in supervision, had read relatively little about supervision, and had limited supervisory experience. Supervisors' appraisals of both their own supervisory and evaluation skills and the skills of other supervisors are presented.

Abstract 1. Reviews the theoretical background of the Coping With Depression (CWD) Course, a multi-modal, group-psychoeducational treatment for depression, and discusses the specific course content and outcome study results. Long-term outcome and predictors ...

Clinical supervisors have important, but perhaps poorly understood, roles involving quality assessment and improvement, and datekeeping. Supervisors provide evaluation and certification of trainees attesting to their qualifications to continue in their training and performance as mental health service providers. However, bias in supervisory evaluations is a pervasive problem as a training issue in professional psychology. Supervisors (n = 62) at APA-accredited clinical psychology internships estimated rates of leniency, central tendency, and strictness bias among supervisors in general and their own bias in evaluations and letters of reference. The implications of bias in supervisory evaluation are discussed. Potential steps to limit supervisors' bias and increase accountability are recommended.

This study further investigates the hypothesis that dieting is the precursor to the development of binge eating. The temporal relationship of onset of binge eating and dieting is examined from retrospective self-reports collected at baseline from women participating in two bulimia nervosa (BN) treatment studies (N = 221). Twenty women were identified who reported binge eating prior to the onset of dieting ("binged first," BF). For comparison, 20 similar age individuals reporting dieting onset preceding that of binge eating ("dieted first," DF) were selected. A subset of women (8.8%) seeking treatment for BN endorsed the development of binge eating prior to dieting onset. The BF pattern of BN development was associated with earlier age of onset of binge eating, later onset of purging, increased desired weight, and increased actual weight. Binge eating prior to dieting onset was also associated with improved response to group cognitive-behavioral treatment at 6-month follow-up. This study provides support for the hypothesis that dieting is a risk factor, but not necessarily a precursor, to the development of binge eating in BN. Implications for treatment and future research are discussed.

The current status of the research knowledge on the psychotherapy of bulimia nervosa is reviewed. Published studies using randomization to treatment are discussed. The existing research data speak convincingly to the efficacy of cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT); however, certain important questions remain unanswered. The current deficiencies in the field are underscored.

Adolescents who are members of ethnic minority groups constitute a large and ever increasing proportion of the population. While the information base regarding mental health problems and mental health services utilization in adolescents in general is slowly increasing, relatively little knowledge has accumulated about the particular needs and practices of youth of color. The purpose of this article is to review the available literature about adolescent mental health needs and service utilization as well as literature regarding adult ethnicity and mental health service utilization. The conclusion of this review is that significant gaps exist in our knowledge base regarding ethnicity in adolescents and its implications for the utilization of mental health services. The limited data available suggest that significant numbers of adolescents of color have multiple needs for mental health care and that a complex set of barriers exists to prevent them from obtaining appropriate servicies. A variety of suggestions are offered to improve the opportunities for and the quality of mental health services for ethnic minority adolescents.

... Berman, A. & Cohen-Sandler, R. (1982), Childhood and adolescent suicide research. Crisis, 3-5. Bridge, TP, Potkin, SD, Sung, WWA & Soldo, BJ (1977), Suicide prevention centers. J. Nerv. Ment. ... Shaffer, D. (1974), Suicide in childhood and early adolescence. J. Child Psychol. ...

In response to evidence of poorly met mental health needs, a study of formal help-seeking behavior of adolescents was conducted. Responses (n = 17,193) to a school-based survey were examined. Overall, 24.9% identified themselves as having a serious problem. Students who felt they "needed professional help" were contrasted to those who did not. Among students who felt they needed help, those who did not seek it were contrasted to those who did. Deciding professional help was needed was most strongly associated with history of abuse, physical health, suicidal ideation, and gender. Obtaining help was associated with suicidal ideation, informal help-seeking behavior, the interaction between race and socioeconomic status, parental marital status, and having a checkup within the previous year. This study establishes that different factors influence adolescents' identifying a need and actually obtaining help.

A perceived availability of social support measure (the ISEL) was designed with independent subscales measuring four separate support functions. In a sample of college students, both perceived availability of social support and number of positive events moderated the relationship between negative life stress and depressive and physical symptomatology. In the case of depressive symptoms, the data fit a “buffering” hypothesis pattern, i.e., they suggest that both social support and positive events protect one from the pathogenic effects of high levels of life stress but are relatively unimportant for those with low levels of stress. In the case of physical symptoms, the data only partially support the buffering hypothesis. Particularly, the data suggest that both social support and positive events protect one from the pathogenic effects of high levels of stress but harm those (i.e., are associated with increased symptomatology) with low levels of stress. Further analyses suggest that self-esteem and appraisal support were primarily responsible for the reported interactions between negative life stress and social support. In contrast, frequency of past social support was not an effective life stress buffer in either the case of depressive or physical symptomatology. Moreover, past support frequency was positively related to physical symptoms and unrelated to depressive symptoms, while perceived availability of support was negatively related to depressive symptoms and unrelated to physical symptoms.