The present study (1) examined the extent of parent-child congruence in their reports about parenting behaviors, and identified correlates of this congruence, (2) explored the prospective relation between congruence and childrenâs depressive symptoms 10 months later (T2), and (3) compared the relation of childrenâs and parentsâ reports to observersâ ratings of parenting, and explored factors associated with this relation. Participants were 226 parent-child dyads (57% of parents had a current diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder). Children were 7-17 years old (M=12.53, SD=2.33). At the first assessment (T1), children and parents each completed the Childrenâs Report of Parental Behavior Inventory, which measures parentsâ Acceptance and Psychological Control. Children also completed the Childrenâs Depression Inventory at T1 and T2. Bivariate correlations between childrenâs and parentsâ reports of parental Acceptance (r=.37) and Psychological Control (r=.35) were low but significant. Parents reported significantly higher levels of parental Acceptance than did their children, but did not differ significantly regarding their reports of parental Psychological Control. Polynomial regression analyses indicated greater congruence about parental Acceptance in dyads that included children who were older, White, or had parents with higher education; greater congruence about parental Psychological Control was found for dyads that included children with higher depressive symptoms. Second, polynomial regression analyses showed that, controlling for T1 symptoms, the highest level of childrenâs T2 depressive symptoms occurred when parents reported that they were high in Acceptance while their children rated their parent as being low in Acceptance. Third, bivariate correlations revealed a low, but significant correlation between childrenâs and observersâ ratings and between parentsâ and observersâ ratings, respectively, for Acceptance (r=.29; r=.25) and Psychological Control (r=.33; r=.26). Regression analyses indicated that childrenâs reports of parental Acceptance were most congruent with observersâ ratings among children with low levels of depressive symptoms, and for those whose parents were married; childrenâs reports and observersâ ratings of parental Psychological Control were most congruent among younger children. Implications of these findings for researchers and clinicians are discussed and highlight the need for further research about the meaning of parentâchild incongruence, its relation to childrenâs psychopathology, and interventions for reducing it.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder with hallmark symptoms that can be severely impairing to both the individual and the overall family dynamic. The path to diagnostic and therapy services is often lengthy and complex. Despite various state and federal efforts to improve service access, disparities remain evident across ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic lines with caregivers reporting financial, cultural, geographic, and practical (e.g., transportation, scheduling) barriers. For those able to access treatment, several interventions have been proven efficacious in addressing ASD symptoms, problem behaviors, and adaptive skills deficits. Other often-used interventions include those without established merit for ASD. This study found a tendency for income, insurance type, and ethnicity to affect service access. Out of pocket costs remain a significant barrier to evidence-based services. Scheduling difficulties and long wait lists impact diagnostic services, as do perceptions of misguided reassurances from professionals (e.g., healthcare worker stating hell grow out of it). Disparities in service use indicate a need to develop policy, practice, and family-level strategies to address barriers to ASD services.

<p> Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom are the first long-term wars fought with an all-volunteer army. This has led to fewer available soldiers who are deployed more frequently and for longer periods of time. The impact of these deployments is significant and has been found to increase likelihood for substance abuse, mental health disorders, and concerns in the veteran, or service member&rsquo;s, social functioning and overall adjustment upon returning to civilian life. There have been significant developments in our understanding of these issues, as well as effective interventions and treatment. However, many veterans still do not seek or receive beneficial treatment due to mental health stigma, as well as other barriers. While many treatment paradigms address the unique needs of the family or the individual veteran, very few resources seek to both objectively inform and provide practical coping strategies for the loved ones of veterans. Research has shown social support is a preventative factor in regards to developing or resolving mental health concerns. Similarly, research has demonstrated that others&rsquo; perceptions of mental health symptoms significantly impacts how much support and understanding their loved ones will provide (e.g. personalization of withdrawal symptoms). This manual provides a balance of both information and skills to loved ones in order to increase understanding and awareness regarding the difficulties of the transition to from military to civilian life, for both parties. Additionally, the manual integrates attachment theory concepts throughout the resource to foster self-awareness and consideration of the loved one&rsquo;s own relationship style and emotional regulation. The intended audience is broad and includes a wide range of important relationships that may be affected. It was broken down into three main sections that build upon eachother: Understand, Reconnect, and Rebuild. This manual was developed through critical literature review of peer-reviewed research and personal accounts. The results of the analysis were applied to issues relevant to the transition process from military to civilian life as identified through research or review of personal accounts of the transition home from war.</p>

<p> The purpose of this research study was to examine the effect of treatment programs on recidivism among methamphetamine users within the male exoffender population. The study was an assessment of whether race, ethnicity, and mental illness play a role in recidivism among methamphetamine users in this group. The present study used a Chi-Square analysis to assess statistical significance between independent and dependent variables. The data for this study were obtained from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Association (SAMHSA) in order to assess the statistical significance of the identified variables: treatment programs and recidivism among methamphetamine-using adult male exoffenders, race and recidivism among methamphetamine-using adult male exoffenders, and mental illness and number of prior arrests among methamphetamine-using adult male exoffenders. Results revealed a relationship between the age of the exoffenders and their number of arrests prior to admission to treatment programs. Further analysis revealed a relationship between the type of treatment program, inpatient or outpatient, and the exoffenders&rsquo; number of prior arrests.</p>

Given that youth mental health is associated with their success in school and in life more broadly, it is important that school-based psychological service providers embrace best-practice prevention and intervention strategies that target mental health when working with student populations. One line of study in this area has begun exploring the incorporation of a dual-factor model of mental health within universal screening systems in schools. The dual-factor model is differentiated from the traditional unidimensional mental health model, which focuses on the presence or absence of psychopathology, by conceptualizing mental health alternatively as consisting of both psychopathology and wellbeing dimensions. The present study involved the preliminary development and validation of the Student Wellbeing Teacher-Report Scales (SWTRS)a pair of brief behavior rating scales intended to function as screening tools for measuring two indicators of the wellbeing dimension of youths mental health at school: feeling good and functioning well. Specifically, the study involved drafting pilot items for the SWTRS and explored their latent factor structure, concurrent validity with school-related outcomes (i.e., attendance, academic achievement, and time on-task), as well as concurrent and incremental validity in comparison with psychopathology screeners. Results suggested that the SWTRS items may better represent two context-specific indicators of youths wellbeingacademic engagement and prosocial behaviorrather than the hypothesized feeling good and functioning well dimensions. The SWTRS also demonstrated incremental validity and were uniformly stronger predictors of all school-related concurrent outcomes compared to the psychopathology scales. Implications for theory and future research are discussed.

<p> Research rooted in the existentialist theory of the will to meaning has demonstrated that individuals who experience a sense of calling to their work realize personal well-being benefits. An assertion in the literature is that work may be understood as employed work or volunteer work. The calling research, however, has been limited to late-stage first age adults preparing for employment or second age adults currently employed. Calling among third age adults, post-employment and engaged in volunteer work, has not been examined thoroughly and is not well understood. In the US, the number of third age adults is growing by over 10,000 per day and by the year 2030 will have more than doubled since the census of 2000. The coming decades will see a significant need to address the well-being concerns of the nation&rsquo;s aging population. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to extend the understanding of the calling construct by examining the relationship between calling and eudaimonic well-being, and the potentially moderating effect of religiosity on that relationship, among third age adults in the volunteer domain. By means of an online survey, responses were collected from a nation-wide, purposive sample (<i>N</i> = 221) of age 65 or over adults (52% female) who were active volunteers. Multiple regression analyses revealed that upon controlling for gender, marital status, education, and income, calling, <i>t</i>(1) = 9.77, <i>p</i> &lt; .001, and religiosity <i>t</i>(1) = 5.58, <i>p</i> &lt; .001, were the only significant predictors of eudaimonic well-being. Moderated multiple regression analyses revealed that religiosity moderates the relationship of calling and eudaimonic well-being, but only at the aggregate, <i>F</i>(1,217) = 8.46, <i>p</i> = .004, R2 = .026, and highly-religious, <i>F</i>(1,217) = 10.146, <i> p</i> &lt; .05, R2 = .031, levels of religiosity. The findings of this study extend the understanding of the calling construct beyond its previous parameters and provide a model of hope for practitioners engaged with third age adults. Future studies could more closely examine the relationship between calling and eudaimonic well-being in correlation with sources of calling, types of religious influence, or types of volunteer activities among third age adults.</p>

<p> Exposure to parental intimate partner violence (IPV) has been shown to be negatively correlated with children&rsquo;s behavioral, social, emotional, cognitive, and physical outcomes. Yet, research studying the impact of IPV exposure on students&rsquo; academic performance is scarce, and the findings from the limited literature do not converge. This study aimed to examine the relationship between exposure to IPV and academic performance, and whether parental academic involvement and school support will combat the negative academic outcomes of children exposed to IPV. Results indicated that exposure to IPV was not associated with academic performance, and parental academic involvement and school support were not protective factors. However, it revealed a complex relationship between exposure to IPV, parental academic involvement, and school support that warrants further investigation by future studies. Understanding the influences that home interactions may have on students&rsquo; school functioning can be helpful in creating supportive interventions to support at-risk students. </p>

Depression affects over three million people in the United States every year, with that number increasing drastically as we look at the entire global scale. Depression is described as “a brain disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life” (Mayo Clinic). Possible causes include a combination of biological, psychological, and stress factors. One explanation that psychologists have found includes some abnormal activity by neural circuits in the brain. Depression is characterized by a continuing feeling of sadness and loss of all interest in daily life. Depression can lead to a range of behavioral and physical symptoms. Some of these symptoms include trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, decreased energy level, inability to concentrate, changes in daily behavior, and low self-esteem (Mayo Clinic). In more serious cases, depression can also be associated with thoughts of suicide. Usually, doctors and psychologists will prescribe medications to hopefully combat the feelings of depression and help the patient get out of their altered state. Other forms of treatment include consistent therapy sessions with a psychiatrist or psychologist, during which the patient talks and vents their feelings. Some medications and talk therapy have been proven to be very successful, while others have not. A possible treatment that not many have considered may be the use of music therapy with depressed and lonely individuals. A main issue facing many people with depression and loneliness seems to be a need and desire for connection. What if music could be that connection they are missing? Many studies show that sad music can be used as a therapeutic tool to help cope with sad feelings, but the song and the patterns of sound within may also be giving the patients something else; a connection that they may not have had in the past. Because of this, music can give these individuals a reference point and a new outlook on their situation. If they struggle to find a strong connection with another human, music could be something for them to identify with and an outlet that could help change the way that they see their situation. Sad music can be a positive influence and a coping mechanism for depressed individuals, due to the fact that it provides them with feelings of happiness and gives them a connection and vantage point that they may not necessarily have seen before they listened to the music.

<p> Over the past decade, cybercrime has increased dramatically, and a popular way to steal someone&rsquo;s information is via phishing. There are three major ways to protect from a phishing attack: automatic filters, warnings, and user training. User training makes a good safety net for the few instances when filters fail to catch a security risk and warnings go unheeded. Training is most effective when feedback is given immediately and when it is simple and engaging. Phishermen often use psychological techniques in order to gain access to sensitive information, and conformity is a well-documented phenomenon that can cause people to make decisions and act in a way that they normally would not do. If phishermen were able to create an attack that triggered conformity, the effects of that conformity could potentially overpower the effects of training. This thesis will examine the effects of conformity in an online phishing context. We will examine whether training will cause people to be less likely to conform to a majority in an online setting.</p>

<p> Epidemiological reviews report a significant percentage (between 5%- 28%) of people in the general population experience what is clinically known as auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) or "voices". Psychotropic medications are often used to treat auditory verbal hallucinations. However, group therapy has been found to be an effective therapeutic intervention for this population, but there is limited research on which factors lead to positive outcomes for clients who attend these groups. Furthermore, current research appears to focus on clients' viewpoints regarding what constitutes a "good outcome,&rdquo; and there has been very little research focusing on the perspectives of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) group facilitators.</p><p> The purpose of this study was to discover what facilitators of AVH groups viewed as positive group outcomes, and to explore the most important factors, per group facilitators, in generating positive outcomes within a group modality for this client population.</p><p> This study was a qualitative analysis, specifically employing a cross case analysis approach. Ten group facilitators from around the world who have experience running groups for clients with auditory verbal hallucinations were interviewed. Six themes emerged: Flexibility, Group Process, Empowerment, Self Awareness, Safety, and Lived Experience.</p>