Introduction: Race/ethnicity and sex disparities in substance use and substance use treatment completion are well documented in the literature. Previous literature has shown that participation in self-help groups is associated with higher rates of substance use treatment completion. While most of this research has focused on the completion of treatment for alcohol and stimulant use, research examining this relationship using an intersectional approach for individuals in treatment for opioid use is limited. Methods: Thus, the current study utilized responses from the Treatment Episodes Data Set–Discharges, 2015–2017 to examine disparities in the relationship between participation in self-help groups and substance use treatment completion for individuals undergoing treatment for opioid use based on sex, race, and ethnicity. Results: Results revealed a positive association between participation in self-help groups and treatment completion among those in treatment for opioid use across race, ethnicity, and sex. Further, the study found several differences in this association based on one's race, ethnicity, and sex. When compared to men of other races/ethnicities, the association between self-help group participation and treatment completion was highest among Black men. Conclusions: The results of the current study extend the knowledge-base about self-help participation's role in promoting successful substance use treatment completion to individuals in treatment for opioid use. Results also highlight the need to examine treatment outcomes with an intersectional lens.

Mental health self-help accounts on social media often provide tips and strategies for individuals struggling with mental health difficulties to improve mental health outcomes. As mental health poses a public health concern that causes economic and physical problems worldwide, this self-help approach offers a potential solution to help millions of people at risk. In accordance with Technology Acceptance Models, how useful an individual finds a social media account should predict their intent to follow such accounts. Additionally, since social media accounts are highly visual content-driven, aesthetics may be a significant driver of intent to follow social media accounts. The present research examines how feelings of depression moderate the relationship between perceived usefulness of a self-help account and intent to follow the self-help account, as well as perceived aesthetics and intent to follow the self-help account. An online study was conducted with N = 410 participants in which participants were shown both self-help accounts and non-self-help accounts from Instagram. Participants were then asked to rate each account's perceived visual appeal and usefulness and their intent to follow these accounts. Lastly, participants completed a Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and a Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS). Results indicate that while aesthetics and perceived usefulness of self-help social media accounts are positively correlated with intent to follow such accounts, perceived usefulness is the dominating predictor of intent to follow.

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The purpose of this research was to investigate the housing satisfaction of rural, self-help homeowners with respect to the interior of their houses. This research surveyed households' satisfaction with respect to housing quality and residential space plan design. Aspects of housing quality included: durability and maintenance of interior building materials; appliances (range, heating and cooling units); plumbing and electrical; and furnishings (cabinet, flooring, countertops). Aspects of residential space plan design included: storage areas, size of areas, and location of rooms and features. The sample for this research included 303 homeowners who built their homes through the Community Housing Improvement Program's (CHIP) Rural Self-Help Program between years the 1991 and 1997. These households came from the California counties of Butte, Glenn, and Shasta. Elements from the mail and drop off survey methods were used; 121 respondents returned the survey. This yielded a 40% return rate. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages and means), chi-square, one-way ANOVA, independent samples t-test, and regression analyses. The mean age of respondents was 38 years and 78% were Hispanic. Of those who completed the survey, 57% of the respondents were female and 42% were male. The findings revealed that the respondents were moderately satisfied with the interior of their houses with respect to storage areas, size of rooms, location and features, and housing quality. There was overall satisfaction with the interiors of their houses. Analysis of all of the characteristics researched showed that respondents' overall opinion of housing quality, size of area, and storage area aspects were more important indicators of overall housing satisfaction than their overall opinion of location of rooms and features. Further analysis revealed that the location of the subdivisions, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, and demographic characteristics of the respondents were not a significant determinate of overall housing satisfaction. With respect to skills learned during the self-help training process and the respondents' completion of their own alterations and modifications, both skills learned and the performance of alterations and modifications were correlated with overall housing satisfaction. For respondents who completed simple and/or inexpensive improvements, the ability to complete the improvements was influenced in whole or in part by the training they received in the self-help training process. Furthermore, the respondents who completed alterations or modifications were no more likely to be satisfied with the interiors of their houses than those respondents who performed no alterations or modifications. Based upon the findings from this research, recommendations for both design of CHIP's future Rural Self-Help Housing developments and recommendations for policy development were formulated. / Ph. D.

Using survey data from 75 participants in computer self-help groups, variables were identified which theoretically indicate that computer self- help groups function similarly to face-to-face self-help groups. This exploratory research provided demographic information which allows users of computer self-help groups to be more clearly described. The findings of this study indicated that computer group users perceived similar benefits of use to people in traditional self-help groups. Study participants also perceived certain benefits from computer group use not found in traditional face-to-face groups. Among these were the convenience of use, anonymity, and the benefits of writing as a way to connect to others. The findings indicated that computer groups provided a unique context in which new beliefs and ideas about problems can be constructed. The findings were interpreted to indicate that there are certain risks involved in computer group use of which mental health professionals and potential users need to be cognizant. Finally, several areas for possible future study are discussed. / Ph. D.

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Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1991.

The use of multimodal communication by one moderately mentally retarded, nonphysically impaired teenage girl was investigated. Eighty minutes of language samples were transcribed, coded, and analysed for modes of communication, communicative intent, discourse function, and context of conversation. It was found that six different modes of communication, and various combinations of these modes, were used throughout the samples. A strong relationship between mode of communication and communicative Intent was found. Furthermore, the context of conversation influenced the mode of communication. No strong relationship was found, however, between discourse function and mode of communication. Implications of this research for a theory of multimodal communication in the nonverbal, as well as suggestions for clinical intervention with this population, are discussed. / Medicine, Faculty of / Audiology and Speech Sciences, School of / Graduate