Predictors of employment for transition-aged youth with co-occurring substance use disorder and psychiatric disorder in the state vocational rehabilitation service-delivery system.

OBJECTIVE: To identify state vocational rehabilitation (VR) services that were associated with employment for transition-aged youth with co-occurring disabilities (TAYWCD). METHOD: Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were utilized. Participants were 830 youth aged 24 and younger who had a co-occurring substance use disorder and another mental illness. RESULTS: After controlling for the effect of demographic covariates, assessment services (OR = .53, 95% CI [.35, .80], p < .01), job placement services (OR = 2.56, 95% CI [1.73, 3.78], p < .001), and supported employment services (OR = 3.7, 95% CI [2.33, 5.89], p < .001) were found to significantly impact employment outcomes. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: State VR services that aligned with the individual placement and support model of supported employment principles were correlated with successful employment outcomes for TAYWCD who received these services. Recommendations include the following: (a) prepare VR counselors to effectively work with individuals with psychiatric disabilities; (b) provide TAYWCD with high-quality assessment and the individual placement and support model of supported employment services; (c) require VR counselors who serve TAYWCD to collaborate with community partner agencies that provide coordinated specialty care model services; (d) require VR counselors to collaborate with community partner agencies that provide recovery-oriented and evidence-based services; (e) encourage clients to formulate a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) as a state VR assessment and Individualized Plan for Employment planning service; (f) include the state VR on-the-job training service in the Individualized Plan for Employment; (g) make use of benefits counseling services; and (h) institute in-service learning opportunities in state VR agencies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The detrimental effects of student-disordered behavior at school: evidence from using the cusp catastrophe.

Introduction: The purpose of the present study is to examine the potentially complex relationship between disordered behavior at school and students' engagement with reading activities given that they enjoy reading. Of particular interest is the role of disordered behavior which we believe moderated the relationship between liking reading and reading engagement. Methods: Participants were 2,420 fourth graders who participated in the 2021 PIRLS study from Saudi Arabia and were selected using stratified random sampling from 117 schools in the Kingdom. Data were analyzed using linear and nonlinear means such as the linear model, the logistic model, and the cusp catastrophe. Results: Results pointed to the superiority of the cusp catastrophe towards predicting student engagement in reading by highlighting the splitting role of students' disruptive classroom behavior. Discussion: It was evident that exceeding a critical upward level in disruptive classroom behavior was associated with unpredictable and sudden changes in reading engagement. It is concluded that the application of non-linear means may be conducive to understanding complex educational phenomena.

A methodological note on the CYP-guides randomized controlled trial for the treatment of major depression.

Genetically guided therapy for major depression has been recently recommended but has resulted in null effects. We hypothesized that a potential confounding variable for not finding differences in Length of Stay and Re-admission rate in a major depression clinical trial is the equivalence between treatment protocols in the standard treatment (S) and CYP2D6 genotype (G) treatment groups. The two treatment protocols (i.e., type and degree of substrate drugs) were contrasted using a latent class analysis (LCA) model. Specifically, an LCA model specifying the presence of two classes, namely, the G and S groups was estimated with the intercepts of the 30 prescribed drugs freely estimated. This model was compared to a constrained latent class model in which the two treatment protocols (intercept terms) were contrasted to be equivalent between the two treatment groups. Results indicated that there were no significant differences between G and S treatment groups in the types and number of drugs administered. Consequently, the lack of finding significant differences in length of stay and readmission rate may likely be attributed to the equivalence of the treatment protocols.

Classifying Young Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Based on Child, Parent, and Family Characteristics: A Cross-Validation Study.

We aimed to identify subgroups of young children with differential risks for ADHD, and cross-validate these subgroups with an independent sample of children. All children in Study 1 (N = 120) underwent psychological assessments and were diagnosed with ADHD before age 7. Latent class analysis (LCA) classified children into risk subgroups. Study 2 (N = 168) included an independent sample of children under age 7. A predictive model from Study 1 was applied to Study 2. The latent class analyses in Study 1 indicated preference of a 3-class solution (BIC = 3807.70, p < 0.001). Maternal education, income-to-needs ratio, and family history of psychopathology, defined class membership more strongly than child factors. An almost identical LCA structure from Study 1 was replicated in Study 2 (BIC = 5108.01, p < 0.001). Indices of sensitivity (0.913, 95% C.I. 0.814−0.964) and specificity (0.788, 95% C.I. 0.692−0.861) were high across studies. It is concluded that the classifications represent valid combinations of child, parent, and family characteristics that are predictive of ADHD in young children.

The Stressful Experience of Goal Orientations Under Frustration: Evidence Using Physiological Means.

The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that goal orientation is associated with divergent forms of emotional reactivity under frustration. Goal orientations were assessed using bifurcations of performance goals described earlier. Physiological stress levels were measured via a blood volume pulse analysis after individuals were subjected to a computerized Stroop task using a malfunctioning mouse to induce enhanced frustration. The results indicated that performance-avoidance goals were associated with the highest levels of emotional reactivity, with normative outcome goals being significantly more detrimental than ability goals. We concluded that the motivation to avoid failure or to outperform others is the most detrimental determinant of stress and needs to be avoided by all means. Instead, it is suggested that educators emphasize performance using personal best outcomes or by valuing engagement, deep processing and task completion.

The regulatory properties of anger under different goal orientations: the effects of normative and outcome goals.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to evaluate the self-regulatory properties of anger on the performance of individuals under various motivational dispositions using an experimental design. METHODS: The participants were 99 university students who participated in response to extra credit. The performance of the participants was evaluated using the Tower of Hanoi task. Their anger was measured using a facial expression recognition system and arousal was assessed using a heart-rate monitoring device. Two motivational dispositions were assessed: performance goals with normative evaluative standards and performance goals with a focus on outcomes. RESULTS: The results indicated that a nonlinear function explained the relationship between anger, arousal, and achievement under different goal conditions. Specifically, the Cusp Catastrophe Model showed that anger levels beyond a critical point were associated with the unpredictability of performance during the normative goal condition, suggesting that anger disturbed the relationship between arousal and achievement. Interestingly, a linear model was relevant for explaining the same relationships during the outcome goal condition. CONCLUSION: Thus, this study concluded that anger plays a more salient role when coupled with the pressures arising from employing interpersonal evaluative standards.

Cronbach's Alpha and Semantic Overlap Between Items: A Proposed Correction and Tests of Significance.

The purpose of the present study was to address the shortcomings of Cronbach's alpha concerning the semantic overlap between items. Using an example from a motivational measure, the correction of Cronbach's alpha was applied by partialing out the effects due to conceptual overlap. The significance of Cronbach's alpha was tested using simulated random data derived from the measure and by estimating the confidence intervals with known and unknown distributions. The results indicated that the uncorrected conceptual overlap coefficient alpha was equal to 0.89 and 0.66 following the correction. After simulating the corrected statistical results, the distribution of alpha with random numbers had an estimate of 95%, equal to 0.41. The lower bound of the corrected alpha distribution was equal to 0.41, suggesting that the corrected alpha could easily belong to the distribution of alpha developed from simulated random numbers. Thus, the semantic overlap between items on a measure represents a significant threat to the validity of the alpha coefficient.

A Psychometric Analysis of Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices: Evaluating Guessing and Carelessness Using the 4PL Item Response Theory Model.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of Raven's colored progressive matrices by estimating the presence of pseudo-guessing and pseudo-carelessness. Participants were 1127 children from ages 5 to 11. Guessing and carelessness were assessed using the lower and upper asymptotes of the 3PL and 4PL item response theory (IRT) models, respectively. Optimal model fit was judged using difference loglikelihood tests and information criteria. Results indicated that guessing, but not carelessness, were evident in the AB and B forms of the CPM, with successful guessing being more prevalent in the AB form. It is concluded that nonverbal IQ estimation in CPM should include variable estimation methods so that aptitude scores are estimated with the highest possible accuracy.