The purpose of this study was to adapt a measure for coping in outdoor adventure activities that reliable and valid inferences could be made. To do this, the constructs were clearly defined; relevant items were written representing the constructs. An expert panel reviewed the items for content validity, and the instrument was administered to subjects to gather evidence supporting the reliability and validity of inferences. The instrument adapted will provide a foundation for future research and understanding related to outdoor adventure coping skills. In addition, evidence supporting the reliability and validity of inferences of the assessment serve to measure outcomes in adventure and wilderness therapy programs.

Manualized, evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for children are being increasingly incorporated in community mental health clinics. Yet, providers hold concerns about the appropriateness of manuals for community populations, as suggested by the research of Jensen-Doss, Hawley, Lopez and Osterberg. Such concerns could lead them to adapt EBTs in the field, potentially diminishing or increasing their effectiveness. Therefore, it is striking how little is known about provider-level manual adaptation in community settings. The present study investigated the extent to which therapists mandated to use a manualized EBT adapt the treatment in the field, including patterns, predictors and outcomes of adaptation. A typology of provider-level manual adaptation was created to describe sessions double-dipped (i.e., repeated), skipped, or flipped (i.e., delivered in reverse order). Patterns of manual adaptation used by a sample of 38 community therapists treating 288 depressed youths with Lewinsohn and colleagues? Adolescent Coping with Depression course (CWD-A) were described. Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to identify which client and therapist characteristics predict manual adaptation, and whether adaptation is associated with greater improvement or worsening in youths? therapy outcomes. Adaptation was widespread and largely unsystematic, with no significant client predictors of repeats or flips. Sessions were skipped more often for youths belonging to families with higher income and youths with greater pre-treatment symptom severity, but less often for Hispanic and Asian youths relative to Caucasians. A significant portion of variability in adaptation was attributable to therapists, who showed habits in manual adaptation: therapists with more years of experience working at the clinics double-dipped sessions more often, and Hispanic therapists flipped sessions much less often than Caucasian therapists did. Finally, adaptation was significantly related with outcomes, such that doubledips were associated with worsened symptom severity, skips were associated with improved symptom severity, and flips were associated with worsened functioning. Given that these data suggest manualized EBTs are likely to undergo vast adaptation in community settings, and that such adaptation is related to client outcomes, further research is necessary to better inform practitioners about when each type of manual adaptation may be appropriate. Practical implications for implementation efforts are discussed.

Many risk factors have been put forward to account for the significant increase in adolescent male suicide over the last 20 years, and the pronounced sex difference in suicide statistics. In particular, hopelessness has been shown to be a strong indicator of suicidality. This study investigated the relationship of gender role, stress, and coping to hopelessness in a normal adolescent population. It was hypothesized that stress, coping and a masculine gender role would contribute to hopelessness. 288 adolescent students between the ages of 15 and 18 were surveyed using the Adolescent Stress Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the Australian Sex Role Scale, and the Adolescent Coping Scale. Contrary to expectation, having a masculine gender role was not related to hopelessness; students with an undifferentiated gender role had higher levels of hopelessness than androgynous, masculine, and feminine students. However, the majority of students who had an undifferentiated gender role were male. Hopelessness was also associated with high levels of stress and the use of avoidance coping strategies. The results are discussed within the transactional stress model and the stress-diathesis model.

The present study examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of the revised version of the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI-28), following adjustment of the wording of items such that they were appropriate to assess Coping Skills in an educational setting. A sample of middle school students (n = 1,037) completed the revised inventory. An initial confirmatory factor analysis led to the hypothesis of a better fitting model with two items removed. Reliability of the subscales and the instrument as a whole was acceptable. Items were examined for sex invariance with differential item functioning (DIF) using item response theory, and five items were flagged for significant sex non-invariance. Following removal of these items, comparison of the mean differences between male and female coping scores revealed that there was no significant difference between the two groups. Further examination of the generalizability of the coping construct and the potential transfer of psychosocial skills between athletic and academic settings are warranted.