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Examines age differences in, and associations among, children's attitudes and intentions regarding alcohol and cocaine use and possible cognitive underpinnings of such orientations. Attitudes and intentions were negative and became less negative with age for alcohol, but more negative with age for cocaine. The cognitive predictors contributed to the prediction of attitudes toward cocaine, but not alcohol. (Contains 36 references, 3 tables, and 1 figure.) (GCP)

A significant minority of teens and preteens suffer from anxiety disorders, depression and other mood disorders, behavior problems, and drug and alcohol addiction. Others have low self-esteem, difficulty coping, and feelings of insecurity. Given the harmful consequences of such disorders, policymakers and practitioners should be alert to teens mental and emotional health so that they can develop sound prevention and intervention strategies to address these challenges. In an effort to determine the best ways to prevent or address these problems, Child Trends conducted a review of nearly 300 research studies on teens mental health and emotional well-being. This review suggests that mental health programs that use comprehensive, integrated approaches appear to be most effective in preventing such problems as conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and alcohol and drug abuse. This brief is divided into two parts. The first addresses mental health in adolescence and the second covers emotional well-being. The What Works tables detail some of the programs and approaches that are most likely to succeed in these areas. Only experimentally evaluated programs are included in the review of what works. Also included in the table are some best bets, promising practices drawing on both experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations, other research, and wisdom from practitioners. (Contains 81 references.) (GCP)

Noting national survey data from the past three decades showing consistently that more than 60 percent of American high school seniors agree that religion is important to them, and in light of increased interest in faith-based initiatives, this research brief summarizes findings from recent studies that examine linkages between adolescents beliefs and their practice of religion, or religiosity. Religiosity includes attending religious services, being involved in activities sponsored by faith-based organizations, praying, and ascribing values to one religious beliefs. The brief also examines parents religious practices and beliefs in relation to their adolescents well-being. Although religiosity is an under-researched area and existing studies have limitations, the overall findings suggest moderate to weak associations between religiosity and adolescent outcomes. High religiosity levels are linked with low levels of delinquency. There is strong, consistent evidence linking religious involvement and low teen drug and alcohol use. Numerous studies indicate that religious involvement may help to steer teens away from early sexual activity. Findings about contraception and disease-prevention in relation to teens religious beliefs and behavior have been less consistent. The constraining effects of religiosity on male adolescent sexual behavior are similar to those for females. There is a consistent report of a positive association between religiosity and prosocial and altruistic attitudes and behaviors. Little research exists on the relationship between adolescent religious involvement and personality and mental health. There are weak to moderate associations between parents religiosity and positive child outcomes, particularly for older children and adolescents. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. (Contains 34 endnotes.) (KB)

This paper reviews the research literature on factors contributing to adolescent emotional well-being, focusing on generalized mood/affective states, emotion regulation and coping, and feelings about self, including self-esteem, self-efficacy, and locus of control. Each construct is defined and evidence from research is presented to indicate the importance of the construct as an element of well-being in adolescence. The empirical literature exploring antecedents and correlates of emotional well-being is then summarized. Finally, the paper discusses implications for policies, programs, and interventions designed to promote adolescent well-being. The focus is on research pertaining to each layer of the adolescent's ecosystem (individual, parent and family, peers, school, neighborhood, and community), emphasizing longitudinal studies that examine predictors of emotional well-being but use multivariate analyses to take background characteristics into account, and emphasizing experimental or quasi-experimental evaluation studies of programs to promote emotional well-being. Studies that have been replicated with similar results across different populations and geographic regions are highlighted. The paper restricts discussion to studies incorporating outcomes during adolescence and studies using non-clinical populations only. The paper concludes by noting that there is consistency in individual differences in adolescent emotional well-being. Individual differences are associated with characteristics of adolescents' environments, parent and family characteristics, school characteristics, and neighborhood and community characteristics. Several of the studies present implications for programs and school reform efforts. There was a strong association between emotional well-being and positive environments that provide adolescents with a sense of belonging, acceptance, and support for autonomy. Appended is a table of the review of research and implications for targeted activities to improve adolescent emotional well-being. (Contains 92 references.) (KB)

Questionnaires assessing perceived competence, perceived control, competitive trait anxiety, and motivational orientation were completed by 108 boys. Additionally, 12 coaches were observed for 2 games in order to record coaching behaviors during competition. The model tested showed that both coaching behaviors and children's trait anxiety causally influenced perception of control. (JPS)