No abstract

College student binge drinkers incur significant adverse consequences for themselves and others, yet they often do not see their drinking as problematic. Counseling interventions should therefore be sensitive to relevant consequences, motivational level, and readiness to change. To address these issues, the authors integrate harm‐reduction principles, motivational interviewing, and stages of change to address the problems of binge drinkers who may be reluctant or ambivalent about changing their drinking habits.

This study investigated whether age and parental history of hypertension were related to increases in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure during an active coping task. The latter consisted of a 21‐trial reaction‐time task in which electric shock and monetary incentive were contingent upon adequate performance. Subjects consisted of 60 normotensive male volunteers aged 15–55 yrs. Results showed that age yielded a significant inverse relationship with increases in heart rate, accounting for 8% of the variance. However, no age association was found for increases in either systolic or diastolic blood pressure. Subjects with a parental history of hypertension showed greater responsivity in heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure than subjects without a hypertensive parent. Results are discussed in terms of methodological considerations and potential mechanisms accounting for the age‐related decline in heart rate during active coping.

The purpose of this article is to provide counselors with an overview of best practices for the treatment of women who experience prenatal depression (PND). The authors first discuss issues in the screening and diagnosis of PND. Next, the 2 most common treatments, antidepressants and psychotherapy, are reviewed and discussed in relation to current best practice guidelines. Guidelines for counselors' roles in treatment and advocacy are also provided.

This study examined whether the orientation of a health appeal differentially influences health beliefs and early-detection practices among young individuals who are potentially at risk. Undergraduates with and without a hypertensive parent were given printed material about hypertension and the importance of early detection framed in either a wellness or illness-threat format. The major dependent measure was attendance at a blood pressure screening during the week following the experimental session. Results showed that parental history (PH) participants were more than twice as likely to attend the screening when given a wellness message in comparison to threat. In the threat condition, PH participants also reported that hypertension was less preventable in comparison to participants without a hypertensive parent. Reported likelihood of developing hypertension was inversely related to subsequent screening attendance among PH participants only. Factors accounting for the efficacy of wellness-oriented appeals among individuals who report a family history are discussed.