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The relationship between parental personality traits and how parents socialize their children's emotions is largely unexplored. This study examined the association of personality traits such as Neuroticism and Agreeableness, and emotion traits such as Anxiety and Trait Depression to the strategies parents use to socialize their children's sadness, as well as how these personality and emotion traits and socialization methods relate to adolescents' experiences of sadness. The sample included 110 adolescents (51 females), ranging in age from 11 to 16, and their parents. Measures included parent and youth reports on emotion socialization, measures of parental personality and emotion traits, and checklists on adolescent sadness. Findings indicated that mothers' personality and emotion traits were related to their perceptions of how they socialized sadness in their youth. Fathers' traits were related to their perceptions of socialization, but to a lesser degree than mothers'. Specifically, maternal Neuroticism, Anxiety, and Trait Depression were related to negative strategies of socializing sadness, while maternal Agreeableness was correlated with positive socialization strategies. Parents' personality and emotion traits did not correlate with adolescents' perceptions of parents' socialization of sadness. Maternal personality and strategies of socializing sadness were associated with adolescents' experiences of internalizing problems and sadness, as reported by both mothers and youth. Specifically, mothers who were high in Neuroticism had adolescents who experienced more sadness. Mothers who used more Punishing and Magnifying or fewer Reward or Overriding strategies for socializing sadness had adolescents who experienced more internalizing problems and sadness. In addition, youth reports of parental socialization were associated with adolescents' experiences of internalizing problems and positive mood traits, as reported by both adolescents and their fathers. (Author/HTH)

This study assessed common concerns of school-age children. Participating were 138 children in grades 1, 3, and 5. Concerns were spontaneously generated by children during Phase 1 of the study, and common stressors most frequently mentioned were ranked on a 10-item rank-order task during Phase 2. In Phase 3, children completed questionnaires measuring their manifest anxiety and locus of control. In Phase 4, children's understanding of the concept of worry was assessed in semi-structured interviews with a small subsample. Findings indicated that fifth graders were significantly more worried about school than younger children. They were also more concerned about peer acceptance and the future than third graders. Third graders were more concerned about getting in trouble than fifth graders. Similar grade differences were found in children's rankings of common concerns. Fifth graders were again significantly more worried about school problems than younger children. Fifth graders were significantly more worried about family members getting hurt than third graders. First graders were significantly more worried about smoking and drugs than third graders. Fifth graders were significantly less anxious and had a significantly more internal locus of control than third graders, who in turn were significantly less anxious and had a significantly more internal locus of control than first graders. First graders exhibited less ability to verbally express their understanding of the concept of worry than older children. First graders were more likely to associate worry with sadness, while older children were more likely to associate worry with fear. (Contains 14 references.) (Author/KB)

This paper discusses cyclical grieving, which is described as an intermittent reoccurrence of one or more emotions that are part of the grieving process experienced by parents who have children with disabilities. A study to support the concept of cyclical grieving used a naturalistic approach with face-to-face interviews to explore ten parents' retrospective perceptions of their experiences in rearing a child with a disability. Results of the interviews found the parents vividly remembered how they felt when they were told that their child had a disability. The emotions they felt included: disappointment; sadness or depression; loneliness; fear; anger; frustration; shock; devastation; numbness; unsureness; and feeling trapped and sorry for the child. Both mothers and fathers reported having these or similar emotions reoccur intermittently during the life span of their child. Events that triggered grieving included: health or behavior issues; developmental milestones or age appropriate expectations; family issues and relationships; aged parents and retirement concerns; unusual caretaking demands; professional and programmatic issues, society's lack of understanding and sensitivity; and seemingly insignificant events. (Contains a Cyclical Grieving Model, and 29 references.) (CR)

Grief is a natural response to loss. Bereavement is a universal biopsychosocial phenomenon, yet each individual has unique ways of expressing their loss. This recognition raises the question as to when the range of symptoms are typical and require no therapeutic intervention and when psychotherapeutic intervention is indicated. At present no criteria based definition of complicated bereavement exists. This limits access to services, presents risks of misdiagnosis, and/or inappropriate treatment. This review of the literature provides definitions of uncomplicated and complicated bereavement; and explores commonly used diagnostic categories related to complications in bereavement. Differing perspectives regarding the tendency to utilize the diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) are highlighted. A separate diagnostic category for complicated bereavement is recommended. Contains 30 references. (JBJ)

The purpose of this study was to induce and reverse depressed moods using the Velten mood induction procedure. Forty-eight non-depressed university students (mean age, 32 years), were assigned to three groups. Depression-reversal subjects read negative then positive reversal self-reference statements. Depression-neutral group subjects read negative then neutral statements. Control subjects read neutral statements. Dependent measures included; the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List Depression Scale (MAACL-D) and writing speed. Both experimental groups had more depressed moods (p<.0005) and wrote fewer numbers (p<.01) following depression induction. The depression-reversal group no longer had depressed moods (p<.0005) following depression reversal. The three groups differed in mood levels after depression reversal on the MAACL-D, demonstrating effectiveness of the depression reversal procedure (p<.00005). Findings are consistent with Beck's (1967, 1973, 1980) cognitive theory of depression that thinking leads to moods. (Contains 35 references.) (Author)

Examined the role of emotion in 108 elementary school students' selection of strategies for coping with daily stresses. Found that children exhibited a greater tendency to report inhibiting their actions in response to fear-arousing situations than in situations involving anger or sadness. Older children tended to report more intra-psychic strategies than did younger children. (MDM)

Substantial numbers of children and adolescents experience symptoms of sadness, dysphoria, and other characteristics associated with depression. The nature of depression in children and adolescents has presented challenges in identification and definition. This chapter reviews research on depression in children and adolescents. Three current conceptualizations of depression are presented: depressed mood, depressive syndrome, and major depressive disorder. The chapter notes that the consequences of depression are quite serious and can include social impairment and adolescent depression and suicide. Studies indicate several risk factors for depression in childhood and adolescence, including: (1) individual factors including biological, cognitive, and social problem-solving and coping skills; and (2) contextual factors including social context, family, and stress. The chapter examines prior studies of preventive interventions aimed at depressive symptoms and disorder in young people in three categories: (1) universal preventive intervention; (2) selective preventive intervention; and (3) indicated preventive intervention. The chapter uses this research as a basis for setting future directions for the development of programs to prevent depression during childhood and adolescence; these directions include: (1) reducing suicide among youth by recognizing depression as a risk factor; (2) reducing mental disorder among youth, including addressing depression; and (3) enhancing quality of life for overall health improvement. (Contains 125 references.) (SD)

Examines the phenomena of multiple loss and cumulative grief in gay men (n=93) as a result of the AIDS epidemic. Uses Sanders's Integrative Theory of Bereavement to examine the relationship between multiple loss and the intensity of grief experienced. Suggests an adaptive process of habituation may be occurring and that the subjects may be remaining in Sanders's conservation-withdrawal phase of bereavement. (KW)

Examines gender differences in grief of parents who lost their child using the Grief Experience Inventory (GEI). Participants were 35 bereaved couples who ranged in age from 27 to 73. Results showed that mothers' scores were significantly higher than those of fathers on a number of scales. The potential usefulness of the GEI in helping the bereaved is discussed. (Author/KW)

Investigates experiences of Greek mothers who cared for a child dying of cancer. Highlighted some needs during the terminal period. Fifteen mothers were interviewed and both quantitative and qualitative procedures were used to analyze findings. Family networks played a significant role in supporting mother-child units, especially when death occurred at home. Discusses other findings. (KW)

Takes a constructivist/interpretivist view of grief within the interactive, meaning-making system of the family. Views grief as a multidimensional process of reconceptualization of reality, focusing on regaining stability after a loss, with family members using relationships with each other to engage in that process. Families are seen as arenas of grief. Members grieve in the context of their family. (KW)

Discusses the development of Canuck Place, North America's first free-standing pediatric hospice of its kind, opened in British Columbia, Canada, in 1995. Discusses the process of assessing the need for Canuck Place. Data from traditional quantitative and less-traditional qualitative sources were used to document and develop an argument in support of developing this children's hospice program. (KW)

A set of self-report scales on depression, parental happiness, intimacy, social support, self-esteem, and risk-taking behavior was administered to 455 adolescents to determine the role of depression with the other variables. Depressed adolescents were found to be less intimate with parents, felt less social support, and had lower self-esteem. Adolescents who perceived their parents as unhappy had similar feelings. (KW)

Tested hypothesis that higher levels of positive affect and lower levels of negative affect would predict depression during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. Analysis of 100 women indicated that women at risk for depression during pregnancy and in the postpartum period may exhibit heightened negative moods and a dearth of positive affective experiences. (51 references) (RJM)

Compared adolescents' reactions to hypothetical situations involving anger-provoking actions by best friends and classmates. Subjects were 96 students, ages 11 through 15. Found that situations involving best friends elicited higher ratings of prolonged negative emotion, but more coping attempts were taken than in the situations involving classmates. Girls seemed to be particularly sensitive to relationship differences. (MOK)

Adolescents (N=32) ages 13-18 were interviewed about their experiences of death and loss. Subjects attended suburban public high school or a facility for adjudicated urban youth. Urban adolescents' perception of death involved reference to violence or religion. The most distasteful aspect of death to suburban students was suffering, while to adjudicated youths it was loss of loved ones. (KW)

A workable referral system, using resources within a school and within the community, becomes important when a sudden death or suicide occurs. When managing a crisis, helping professionals need to have the means for restoring a school and community to its precrisis equilibrium. Provides specific information pertinent to developing an effective intervention plan. (Author/KW)

Studied whether memories of deceased play active roles in ongoing lives of survivors. Seventy-one people described a significant death. Four roles were reliably identified and labeled role model, situation specific guidance, values clarification, and remembrance formation. Role adoption was predicted by closeness of relationship and suddenness of death. (JBJ)

The belief that dying and grieving are natural processes is widely held in modern bereavement care. Examines four assumption often made in this connection: (1) most primitive cultures deal with death in an accepting way; (2) this way is different than our own; (3) it is a good and noble way; and (4) traditional societies see death as natural. (JBJ)

Examined nine infants' pretend play with mothers to determine pretend play's impact on children's emerging understanding of emotions so necessary to concepts of self. Found that the combination of talk and enactment characteristic of pretend play may facilitate communication about emotions--particularly fear and anger--that may be considered problematic in other contexts. (HTH)

Eighty kindergartners predicted and explained protagonists' emotional responses to hypothetical events. Children predicted anger most often when they believed protagonists could change undesirable situations and reinstate their goals and when they focused on persons or conditions that caused undesirable situations. Children predicted sadness most often when they believed goal reinstatement was impossible and when they focused on resulting losses. (Author/BC)

Factors that place older adults at risk for problems associated with the bereavement process are identified and discussed. Provides guidelines for distinguishing between normal bereavement depression and clinical depression, discusses the impact of different types of loss, describes three types of intervention, and explores countertransference. (JBJ)

Compares clinical depression with reactive depression, a normal part of childhood development. Looks at quiet times children may experience, and provides examples of how normal childhood sadness can turn into depression. Suggests coping mechanisms and support structures that can prevent this cycle from occurring. (Author/JDM)