Objective: To examine the impact of treatment outcome and treatment condition (Cognitive-behavioral therapy, CBT; Sertraline, SRT; COMB, CBT and SRT; Placebo) for youth treated for anxiety disorders on global and domain-specific functioning across a 3 to 12 year, naturalistic follow-up. Method: A subset (319) of 488 families from the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study (CAMS; Walkup et al., 2008) participated in an average of 3.38 assessments during the follow-up period. All youth met criteria for a principal anxiety disorder pretreatment. Growth curve modeling examined the impact of treatment outcomes (response/remission) and treatment condition on global functioning, global and domain- specific impairment, and life satisfaction across the follow-up period. Logistic regression explored the impact of treatment response and condition on low frequency events (arrests/convictions) and educational achievement (high school graduation/college enrollment). Results: Growth curve analyses revealed that treatment responders/remitters demonstrated better global functioning, increased life satisfaction, and decreased overall impairment at their first follow-up assessment (growth curve mean intercept). The positive effect of treatment response on life satisfaction, but not global functioning or overall impairment, attenuated across the follow-up period. Treatment response also predicted decreased academic impairment at first follow-up. Participants in the COMB condition demonstrated improved functional trajectories with regards to family life and academic grade-point average. CBT participants demonstrated a greater decline in overall impairment and problems with self-care/independence across the follow-up. Treatment response and condition did not predict legal outcomes, school attendance, high school graduation, college attendance, occupational outcomes, or social/peer relationships. Conclusion: Response to early intervention is associated with improved overall functioning, as well as functioning within specific domains (academics) 3 to 12 years posttreatment. Treatment type differentially predicted functional trajectories. Findings support the positive impact of pediatric anxiety treatment on functioning during adolescence and emerging adulthood. / Psychology

Using grounded theory methodology anchored within a life course perspective, this study explored former youth-in-care's sense of belonging and its impact on the transition to adulthood. The findings emphasized the importance of a sense of belonging to creating positive outcomes for young adults during their transition to adulthood. / Youth growing up in foster care tend to have poorer outcomes after reaching adulthood than youth in the general population, such as lower educational attainment, lower rates of employment, and more mental/emotional health difficulties than their peers. Although several factors have been suggested to explain this difference in outcomes, most studies have focused on youth’s negative experiences in-care as being the determinant factor. My study adopted an alternative approach and focused on youth who have had positive experiences during care, in hopes of learning from their experience. Using grounded theory methodology anchored within a life course perspective, this study explored how some youth developed a sense of belonging and what impact this had on their transition to adulthood. Each of the four young adults who participated in this studied shared their experiences of growing up in foster care and the impact this had on their transition to adulthood. The findings emphasized the importance of a sense of belonging to creating positive outcomes for young adults during their transition to adulthood. Five categories emerged from the data: “lack of control”, “realizing a stable, loving, and secure home”, “navigating multiple attachments”, “gaining a sense of belonging”, and “successful transition to adulthood”. These findings suggest that gaining a sense of belonging may be foundational to a successful transition to adulthood, especially when success is defined in terms of interdependence rather than independence. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

Background The transition to adulthood is a time of information needs for youth living with cerebral palsy (CP) and their parents. Access to information and being provided information may assist youth and their parents in making informed decisions. Youth with CP and parents of youth living with CP have reported lack of information as a challenge during the transition to adulthood. Little is known about the information needs of youth with CP and parents during the transition to adulthood from their perspective. Objectives and Methods The objective of this thesis was to explore the information needs of youth with CP and parents during the transition to adulthood. A scoping review was conducted seeking to understand what was known in the transition literature about the information needs of youth with CP and parents (Chapter 2). To clarify the methodological framework of this dissertation the application of interpretive description (ID) to a case study example within childhood disability research was explored (Chapter 3). The information needs during transition in a sample of young adults living with CP were explored using ID (Chapter 4). The information needs of parents of youth with CP currently in the transition to adulthood were then explored, using ID because it was learned in the study of adults living with CP that their parents initiated information seeking or had information needs of their own during transition (Chapter 5). Findings Primary findings from this dissertation include the recognition, from both the scoping review and the two studies, that both youth living with CP and parents of youth living with CP in the transition to adulthood have information needs during the transition to adulthood. More specifically, both youth and parents are seeking to receive information related to goals in adult life, such as employment, postsecondary education, leaving the family home and relationships. Youth prefer to receive their information from peers living with CP. Parents prefer to receive information from peers, but some also desire a direct connection with service providers. Other parents recommend adults living with CP as an information source. Youth and parents agree that information should be delivered in individualized tailored ways. In addition to rehabilitation professionals, youth and parents highlighted the need for information from educators and other community providers. Implications for Clinical Practice Rehabilitation professionals have an important role in helping to provide tailored information. Rehabilitation professionals can initiate conversations about the transition to adulthood around the beginning of high school that focus on improving the self-management of youth of their own transitional journey. In addition to having conversations with clients, rehabilitation professionals should also connect clients with community supports. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Background: The transition into emerging adulthood is a major developmental period in one’s life in which rapid declines in physical activity (PA) are documented. While many emerging adults possess intentions to engage in regular PA, evidence suggests acting on these intentions represents a significant challenge. Obtaining a deeper understanding of the factors associated with the process of translating emerging adult’s PA intentions into action may be integral in building a healthier adult population. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of two potential moderators of the PA intention-behaviour relationship: goal conflict and trait self-control, in a sample of emerging adults. Methods: The study sample was comprised of 132 participants (Mage = 17.80 ± 0.46; 64% female) drawn from a larger prospective cohort study (ADAPT Study). All participants completed two online questionnaires, approximately four weeks apart. Measures of PA intention strength, goal conflict and trait self-control were assessed at time 1. At time 2, participants completed a measure of self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) engagement. Four moderation analyses were performed to assess the independent and combined effects of goal conflict and trait self-control on the PA intention-behaviour relationship. Results: Across all moderation analyses, the main effect of intention strength was significant (p < 0.001), providing support for the necessary role it plays in PA behaviour. However, the main effects of goal-conflict and trait self-control were not found to be significant, along with all interaction effects tested. Correlational analyses revealed intention strength (r = 0.346, p < .001) and goal-conflict (r = -0.236, p < 0.05) were significantly correlated with MVPA, however trait self-control (r = 0.048) was not. Conclusion: Although results showed a modest intention-PA relationship, the hypothesized moderating effects of goal conflict and self-control were not supported. While the subjective perception of one’s self-control ability did not moderate the intention-behaviour relationship, future research should explore the interaction between goal conflict and self-control further using more objective measures, or in combination with self-regulation strategies such as action and coping planning. Additionally, goal prioritization may be an important factor to consider when investigating the effect of goal conflict on PA and the intention-PA relationship. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Relatively little research has focused on the positive adjustment of emerging adult adoptees (Palacios & Brodzinsky, 2010). Given the developmental context of emerging adulthood (Arnett, 2000), it is important to select a measure of adjustment that reflects the increased ambiguity seen in this time period. The present study aims to develop and validate a measure of relational competence, or competence in one’s closest relationship regardless of relationship type (i.e., romantic vs. nonromantic). This measure will be created by adapting the Romantic Competence Interview, a measure of romantic competence previously used with emerging adults (Shulman, Davila, & Shachar-Shapira, 2011). Participants included 162 emerging adult adoptees who were recruited as part of a larger longitudinal study (Grotevant, McRoy, Wrobel, & Ayers-Lopez, 2013). Indicators of relational competence were selected from measures of intimacy maturity coded from interviews in which participants discussed their self-identified closest relationship (White, Speisman, Costos, Kelly, & Bartis, 1984). Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the proposed model of relational competence was a good fit to the data and that this model was invariant across relationship type and gender. No differences in relational competence scores were found by relationship type or by gender

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Despite calls for the consideration of future time perspective (FTP) as a multidimensional construct, mostly unidimensional measurement instruments have been used. This study had two objectives: (a) to develop a brief multidimensional questionnaire for assessing FTP in adulthood and evaluate its psychometric properties; and (b) to examine age associations and age-group differences of the dimensions of FTP. DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were collected from 625 community-residing adults between the ages of 18 and 93, representing young, middle-aged, and older adults. The psychometric evaluation involved exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and confirmatory FA (CFA), reliability and validity analyses, and measurement invariance testing. Zero-order and partial correlations were used to examine the association of the dimensions of FTP with age, and multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine age-group differences. RESULTS: EFA and CFA supported a three-factor solution: Future as Open, Future as Limited, and Future as Ambiguous. Metric measurement invariance for this factor structure was confirmed across the three age groups. Reliability and validity analyses provided evidence of sound psychometric properties of the brief questionnaire. Age was negatively associated with Future as Open and positively associated with Future as Limited. Young adults exhibited significantly greater ambiguity toward the future than middle-aged or older adults. IMPLICATIONS: This study provides evidence in support of the psychometric properties of a new brief multidimensional FTP scale. It also provides evidence for a pattern of age associations and age-group differences consistent with life-span developmental theory.

Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by an increase in risk taking. However, this is not always adverse, as risks can be classified as both positive and negative. Adolescence is also a period of time in which social relationships, particularly among peers, become increasingly salient, and as such, peer-related factors are often connected to risk-taking in adolescence. While peer relationships can provide adolescents with social support, they can also be harmful when they manifest in peer victimization. Thus, this study sought to understand the associations between positive and negative risk taking and relational and physical victimization in adolescence and young adulthood. Data were collected from 167 adolescents across five time points, approximately one year apart. Adolescents completed questionnaires that assessed their risk-taking perceptions and likelihood as well as peer victimization experiences. Results demonstrated that there were no significant cross-construct associations between positive and negative risk-taking perception and relational and physical peer victimization across adolescence. However, additional analyses examining positive and negative socially-related risk taking revealed a significant association between positive socially-related risk perception and relational victimization such that higher initial levels of positive socially-related risk perception predicted a slower decline in relational victimization across adolescence. Results also showed that overall, higher levels of risk-taking perception in adolescence predicted decreased levels of risk-taking likelihood in young adulthood, and that higher initial levels of physical and relational victimization in adolescence predicted higher levels of positive and negative risk-taking likelihood in young adulthood, respectively. Findings highlight the connection between peer victimization and positive and negative risk perception in adolescence, the potential risk-taking outcomes in young adulthood resulting from peer victimization experiences and risk-taking perception in adolescence, and most importantly, the differential roles of positive and negative risk taking in adolescence and young adulthood. / M.S. / Adolescence is a time in development where risk taking increases. However, this is not always adverse, as risks can be classified as both positive and negative. Adolescence is also a time in which peer relationships become especially important, and as such, peer-related factors are often connected to risk-taking in adolescence. While peer relationships can provide adolescents with social support, they can also be harmful when they result in peer victimization. Thus, this study sought to understand the associations between positive and negative risk taking and relational and physical victimization in adolescence and young adulthood. Data were collected from 167 adolescents across five time points, approximately one year apart. Adolescents completed questionnaires that assessed their risk-taking perceptions and likelihood as well as peer victimization experiences. Results demonstrated that there were no significant associations between positive and negative risk-taking perception and relational and physical peer victimization across adolescence. However, additional analyses examining positive and negative socially-related risk taking revealed a significant association between positive socially- related risk perception and relational victimization such that higher initial levels of positive socially-related risk perception predicted a slower decline in relational victimization across adolescence. Results also showed that overall, higher levels of risk-taking perception in adolescence predicted decreased levels of risk-taking likelihood in young adulthood, and that higher initial levels of physical and relational victimization in adolescence predicted higher levels of positive and negative risk-taking likelihood in young adulthood, respectively.

Times of transition are laden with ambiguity, and the move from high school to college has an additional component of role changes to add to this uncertainty. In the spring and summer of 2020, this transition was disrupted by the changes brought on by the pandemic, affecting social norms, routines, and overall mental health outcomes. For professionals such as counselors and advisors to be able to provide specialized support, it is important to understand emerging adults' experiences at this time and to identify factors that helped them cope with this transition. Understanding the development of coping strategies has direct implications for both therapy and clinical practice which can work together to provide a higher quality of care for the people affected by the stress of major life transitions. In this study, I used a mixed-methods design to understand the experience of emerging adults who graduated high school during the pandemic, and the relation between tolerance for ambiguity and coping strategies, resilience, and psychological impact. / Master of Science / The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on so many of us here in the United States and abroad. This was a time in which so much of what we considered normal was totally disrupted by all of the changes that the pandemic caused. For my thesis I wanted to look at how the pandemic changed the ways that students who were in high school transitioned and moved on to college. I wanted to know what existing factors such as their ability to handle uncertainty impacted this transition and if it ended up being helpful for them. For this project I looked at how a person's ability to handle uncertainty, called tolerance for ambiguity in this study, impacted students abilities to cope with uncertainty, psychological impact of the pandemic, and resiliency overall.

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This study used the phenomenological method to investigate the structure of the experience of learning for the sake of learning in adulthood and the meaning of that experience for the individual who undergoes it. Using a modification of Barritt, Beekman, Bleeker and Mulderij's (1983) descriptive phenomenological approach, a four step analysis of protocols was conducted. First, descriptions of the experience were obtained from ten nominated adults, ranging in age from 35 to 74. These protocols were phenomenologically analyzed for emerging elements and common themes to develop individual descriptions. These descriptions were then integrated into the fundamental description, all of which were validated by the co-researchers. The results of the research indicated that learning for the sake of learning can best be understood by seeing its horizon, process, and resolution. The horizon of the phenomenon is comprised of three factors: the opportunity to learn, the area of interest, and the desire to learn. The learning experience is initiated and continued because the learners enjoy the experience, are curious about something, and feel called lo learn. The primary focus is found in the process, not the resulting knowledge. The learners “follow the flow" of the experience, learning whatever seems appropriate at that time, whatever challenges them. The aim is not to reduce but sustain or increase the challenge. The resolution of this experience is open-ended. As an individual learning experience brings satiation, learners seek to encompass more questions in a wider or new area of interest. This indefinite nature, coupled with the rewards, form a spiral which constitutes the horizon for and lures them to the next learning experience. Implications for adult educators, society, and learners are discussed. While this study delves into the nature of the experience itself, further research may investigate the type of people who engage in this learning experience and/or the conditions within which it occurs. / Ed. D.