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Return to ADDvisor Volume 2 2000 Index
Number 11 June 1, 2000
In this issue: 1. Lives of Teens - Part 2 2. Quote 3. Personal Thoughts from Bill 4. Resources - ADHD Report ========================================== THE LIVES OF TEENS - PART 2 ========================================== In last month's newsletter we looked at the characteristics of teen's behavior in the '90s as reported by the Add Health Project, funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. We specifically looked at the emotional distress, suicidal thoughts and attempts, violence perpetration, cigarette use, alcohol use, marijuana use, early sexual involvement and pregnancy in America's teens in the '90s. This article will explore the specific characteristics of the home and school environments that make a difference in the health of American youth. Home Environment The following characteristics were examined to determine what (if any) impact they had on the above_mentioned adolescent at risk behaviors. _Parent and Family Connectedness. This factor represented the highest degree of closeness, caring and satisfaction with parental relationships_feeling understood, loved, wanted and paid attention to by family members. _Parental/Adolescent Activities. The number of different activities engaged in with parent or parents in the past four weeks. _Parental Presence. The parent present before school, after school, dinner, bedtime. _Household Access to Guns. Do or do not have easy access to guns at home. _Household Access to Substances. Do or do not have easy access to cigarettes, alcohol, illegal drugs at home. _Family Suicide or Attempts. The suicidal attempts and/or completions by any family member in the past 12 months. _Parent Disapproval of Sex. Parent disapproval of adolescent having intercourse now. _Parent Disapproval of Contraception. Parent disapproval of adolescent using contraception now. _Parental School Expectations. Mothers' or fathers' expectations for high school and college completion. The Results By far the single most important factor in protecting teens from the problems mentioned above was parent and family connectedness. When parent and family ties were present, virtually all ages were helped in all problem areas. Running a close second was parental presence. Parental school expectations was also one of the more important protective factors On the other hand, the factor which had the most pervasive negative influence was family suicide or attempts. Presence of family suicide or attempts negatively affected teens across all ages and all problem areas. As one might expect, household access to substances negatively affected teens’ substance use, while household access to guns negatively affected violence. The research also indicated the family characteristics that protected teens from early sexual intercourse and pregnancy were parent and family connectedness, perceived parental disapproval of adolescent sex and perceived parental disapproval of adolescent contraception. School The big winner in the school category was school connectedness (teachers treated students fairly, teens feel close to people at school, get along with teachers and other students). School connectedness, like parent and family connectedness, positively affected every age group across every problem area. Finally, there are emerged three individual characteristics that appeared most beneficial in helping teens avoid problems. The first is high self_esteem. The adolescent feels they have a lot to be proud of, likes themselves and feels loved and wanted. The second is a good grade_point average (good doesn't seem to be defined in the study). The third characteristic that contributed to teen's success and has a positive affect in many problem areas is a religious identity. Not surprisingly, adolescent's connections to family and school make a difference to their health and well being. Parents and family were traditionally, and are currently, still central in positively affecting the lives of teens. If the study indicated parents make a difference in the lives of their adolescent by being home at key points of the day; by conveying high expectations for school success and behavior; by limiting access to elicit substances and guns and most importantly by instilling in their children a sense of belonging. ========================================== QUOTE ========================================== Love conquers all things. Virgil
========================================== PERSONAL THOUGHTS FROM BILL ========================================== I see a lot of adolescents in my practice both with and without ADHD. In addition, I'm the parent of an adolescent daughter. In spite of being well_connected, in touch with adolescent issues, and having many resources I still find being the parent of an adolescent to be a difficult job. It is a job that is certainly rich with rewards and pleasure but it is also one, which produces almost continuous low_grade anxiety (and sometimes high_grade anxiety). There is, it seems, so much to worry about being parent an adolescent. The information provided in this and the previous newsletter, however, to help us all to focus our efforts in the right direction and provide us with some comfort in helping us to know that we are doing the right thing. As mine Aunt once told me " little kids little problems, big kids big problems." ========================================== RESOURCES ========================================== A book that addresses the issues in our lead article today, "The Lives of Teens" is by Edward T. Hallowell, Connect, Pantheon Books, 1999. This book was also referred to in a previous newsletter. See the ADDvisor archives on our web site, www.ADDvisor.com.
CONTACT INFORMATION _______________________ Alan R. Graham, Ph.D. Bill Benninger, Ph.D. ADDvisor.com Voice: 1-866-ADDvisor Fax: 847-824-2386 Email: Alan@ADDvisor.com Bill@ADDvisor.com Web: www.ADDvisor.com
c) Copyright 2000 Alan R. Graham and Bill Benninger. All rights reserved The above material may be retransmitted or distributed to whomever you wish as long as not a single word is changed, added or deleted, including the contact information. However, you may not copy it to a web site. Republication of "The ADDvisor" in paper media is encouraged and permitted by organizations and associations which serve parents of ADHD children at the national, state and/or local level as long as the issue is reprinted in its entirety without charge and includes the contact information. With advance permission, we are happy to edit an issue to fit your space requirements. Republication is also encouraged under other circumstances, however, the advance permission of Alan R. Graham and/or Bill Benninger must be obtained in the event that changes in the text are desired or republication is to be made by individuals or by organizations other than those mentioned above.
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