ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the Resilience and Coping Intervention (RCI) with college students. PARTICIPANTS: College students (aged 18-23) from a large Midwest US university who volunteered for a randomized controlled trial during the 2015 spring semester. METHODS: College students were randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 64) or a control (n = 65) group. Intervention participants received three 45-minute RCI sessions over subsequent weeks. All participants completed pre- and post-intervention assessments at the beginning of Week 1 and end of Week 3. Student resilience, coping, hope, stress, depression, and anxiety were assessed. RESULTS: RCI participants reported significantly more hope and less stress and depression from Week 1 to Week 3 compared with control participants. Results for resilience also approached statistical significance. Effect sizes were small to moderate. CONCLUSIONS: This study found preliminary evidence that RCI is an effective resilience intervention for use with college students.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/standards , Students/psychology , Adolescent , Anxiety/etiology , Anxiety/psychology , Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/statistics & numerical data , Depression/etiology , Depression/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Pilot Projects , Psychometrics/instrumentation , Psychometrics/methods , Psychometrics/statistics & numerical data , Students/statistics & numerical data , Treatment Outcome , Universities/organization & administration , Universities/statistics & numerical data , Young AdultABSTRACT
Evidence-based practice requires the use of data grounded in theory with clear conceptualization and reliable and valid measurement. Unfortunately, developing a knowledge base regarding children's coping in the context of disasters, terrorism, and war has been hampered by a lack of theoretical consensus and a virtual absence of rigorous test construction, implementation, and evaluation. This report presents a comprehensive review of measurement tools assessing child and adolescent coping in the aftermath of mass trauma, with a particular emphasis on coping dimensions identified through factor analytic procedures. Coping measurement and issues related to the assessment of coping are reviewed. Concepts important in instrument development and psychometric features of coping measures used in disasters, terrorism, and war are presented. The relationships between coping dimensions and both youth characteristics and clinical outcomes also are presented. A discussion of the reviewed findings highlights the difficulty clinicians may experience when trying to integrate the inconsistencies in coping dimensions across studies. Incorporating the need for multiple informants and the difference between general and context-specific coping measures suggests the importance of a multilevel, theoretical conceptualization of coping and thus, the use of more advanced statistical measures. Attention also is given to issues deemed important for further exploration in child disaster coping research.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Psychological Trauma/psychology , Adolescent , Child , Disasters , Female , Humans , Male , Psychometrics/methods , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of disasters. The coming tornado season raises concerns about enduring problems and anniversary reactions related to the May 2013 tornadoes as well as anxiety about the possibility of new events. METHODS: This article describes common emotional and behavioral disaster reactions in children and also identifies reactions unique to a particular age. Reactions are clustered into depressive, anxious, and behavioral symptoms and physiological responses. PRIMARY RESULTS: This article outlines the key elements in assessing children's disaster reactions and provides specific recommendations for situations that would indicate the need for a mental health evaluation such as for directly-exposed children, children who experience disaster-related losses, those with pre-existing vulnerabilities, and those with significant symptoms. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS: Primary care physicians can help identify the emotional and behavioral effects of disasters in children, educate parents to recognize children's reactions, and refer children in need of specialized care.
Subject(s)
Disasters , Mass Screening/standards , Physician's Role , Physicians, Primary Care , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis , Survivors , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Follow-Up Studies , Guidelines as Topic , Humans , Risk Assessment , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Survivors/psychologyABSTRACT
Changes in relationships, roles, and dynamics associated with deployment of troops to the Global War on Terror can create challenges for their families as non-deployed spouses and their children take on new responsibilities. Children, aged 6 to 18 years, of deployed National Guard troops were assessed to determine the children's perceptions about how their father's deployment would or did change them and their family, the burden the children experienced in relation to helping their mothers, and child- and parent-reported emotional and behavioral symptoms in the children. Endorsement of personal change was associated with psychological health. During deployment, recognizing personal change was associated with less perceived burden while perceived change in the family was associated with more perceived burden. In general, increased perception of burden was associated with increased psychological symptoms and problems. The children of deployed service personnel may experience burdens and challenges in relation to the changes associated with the circumstances of deployment. Helping children prepare for and manage changes in relationships, roles, rules, and routines may lessen adverse reactions to changes in the environment.
Subject(s)
Attitude , Iraq War, 2003-2011 , Military Personnel/psychology , Parent-Child Relations , Paternal Deprivation , Terrorism/psychology , Adaptation, Psychological , Adolescent , Affective Symptoms/diagnosis , Affective Symptoms/psychology , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/diagnosis , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/psychology , Child , Child Behavior Disorders/diagnosis , Child Behavior Disorders/psychology , Female , Humans , Internal-External Control , Male , Mother-Child Relations , Oklahoma , Personality Assessment/statistics & numerical data , Psychometrics , Single-Parent Family , United StatesABSTRACT
Adolescent suicide is a growing problem despite increased awareness and programs to counter the destruction. There are myths surrounding adolescent suicide that contribute to our alarm at the increasing numbers. However, risk and protective factors along with prevention strategies and resources for help are available. Finally, the primary care physician has critical and pivotal opportunities for screening patients for referral and further treatment. Simple, discerning questions can allow the busy physician good insight into patients' mental health.
Subject(s)
Physician's Role , Psychology, Adolescent , Suicide/psychology , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Risk Factors , Suicide/statistics & numerical data , Suicide PreventionABSTRACT
Adolescent alcohol use and abuse is a problem of growing concern for physicians who treat this population. This article describes current data reflecting adolescent alcohol use and abuse nationally and in Oklahoma and its resultant problems. A description of risk and protective factors, the physician's role in detecting adolescent problems with alcohol, and suggestions of recommendations to the family are included. To aid in early detection and prevention of a worsening alcohol problem, the physician is encouraged to screen for alcohol use during the routine history and physical exam and is given a very specific developmentally appropriate screening tool to use with adolescents.
