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 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.

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.